Steel-coil truck triggered deadly 15-vehicle Samail crash, Oman police say

Muscat: A truck carrying heavy steel coils lost control after encountering sudden congestion caused by an earlier accident in Samail, setting off a 15-vehicle collision that killed six people and injured 18, according to the Royal Oman Police.

Major Mohammed bin Salam Al Hashmi, Director of Security Relations and Media at the Royal Oman Police, said the crash occurred shortly before 8pm on Friday on Sultan Thuwaini bin Said Road, where the tractor-trailer was travelling towards Muscat.

An earlier accident near the scene had caused traffic to build up along the road, Al Hashmi said. When the truck reached the congestion, its driver lost control and the load of steel coils became dislodged.

The truck veered into the opposite carriageway, while the heavy coils were thrown across the barriers separating the two directions of traffic, triggering a chain collision involving multiple vehicles.

Some vehicles were severely crushed in the impact. Police said 15 vehicles were damaged in total.

Six people were killed and 18 others suffered injuries of varying severity. Eight of the injured were earlier reported to be in critical condition.

Police and emergency teams were dispatched to the scene in the Wadi Bani Rawaha area, where the collision caused significant congestion along Sultan Thuwaini bin Said Road.

The Royal Oman Police initially issued a traffic alert following the crash, urging motorists approaching the area to exercise extreme caution because of the accident and resulting traffic build-up.

Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology said on Saturday that it had opened an investigation into the crash through its Transport Safety Office.

The inquiry will examine the causes of the collision and any factors that may have contributed to it, the ministry noted.

The ministry also offered its condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.