Abu Dhabi: The UAE is capable of dealing with accidents and natural disasters, Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior said.
He visited victims of the Ghantoot pile-up on Wednesday on the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He visited the injured at Al Mafraq and Al Rahba hospitals as well as the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City. Six of the injured are still in critical condition.
Abdul Hafit Ebrahim, an Egyptian, told the minister that he was taken to the hospital within minutes, and that the public also did their best to help the injured. Saeed Al Ameri, a UAE national, said that he saw firefighters risking their lives to save as many people as possible. He praised the heroic efforts of rescue workers.
Colonel Hamad Adil Al Shamsi, Director of the Traffic and Patrol section of the Abu Dhabi police, told Gulf News: "Investigations are on to establish the cause of the accident and the first accident in the series that took place." Police said that 30 cars were gutted in the pile-up that involved 250 vehicles.
Three-year-old Alina was waiting to see her father, but he will not come home to Pakistan. Mohammad Salib Khan, 29, a bus driver, was among those killed. A Sudanese engineer and a Syrian are the other victims.
