Indian nationals among 14 killed in deadly multi-vehicle crash in UAE's Fujairah

A truck crash involving 23 vehicles in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah emirate killed 14 people and injured 30 others after the driver lost control of the vehicle, triggering a fire that spread to several other vehicles, police said on Thursday.

The Indian Consulate in the UAE confirmed that Indian nationals were among those killed, adding that it had reached out to the "bereaved families" and was coordinating with local authorities to provide assistance and support.

The accident occurred shortly before midnight on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road, near the entrance to Fujairah, when the truck collided with another vehicle before overturning and hitting several vehicles that had stopped due to "slow-moving traffic", Fujairah Police said.

The collision involved 23 vehicles, including five trucks. The impact caused the truck to catch fire, with the blaze spreading to several other vehicles and resulting in a heavy loss of life, the UAE Interior Ministry said in a statement. Thirty people were injured and taken to hospital. Fifteen of them have since been discharged after receiving treatment, while the remaining 15 continue to receive medical care, police said.

The deceased included Emirati nationals, while the injured were from the UAE, Oman, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt. Authorities are using DNA tests to identify some of the victims. Emergency services, including police, ambulance crews and civil defence teams, rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire, evacuate the injured and secure the area. Specialist teams remain at the site, police said.

The interior ministry and Fujairah Police expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.