Vehicle pile-up in Fujairah: 14 killed, including 3 of Keralam family

Fujairah: Three members of a Malayali family from Keralam were among the 14 people killed in a massive road accident involving 23 vehicles in Fujairah, the UAE, on Wednesday night. The victims were 21-year-old twin siblings Mohamed Asmi Siddique and Misna Jubin Siddique, and their three-year-old nephew, Muhammed Faiz. They belonged to the family of Siddique Thuppilikkatt, a native of Malappuram, according to Mathrubhumi.

According to Siddique, the family was returning to Fujairah from Sharjah at around 11 pm on November 11 when their car, driven by his son, collided with a truck. Siddique’s wife, elder daughter and two other children survived with injuries and are now out of danger. The family is considering conducting the burial of all three victims in the UAE, though a final decision is pending.

The crash occurred on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road, the main entrance to Fujairah. The UAE Interior Ministry confirmed that 14 people were killed and 30 injured in the collision involving 18 cars and five trucks. Police, ambulance and Civil Defence teams rushed to the scene, administered first aid and shifted the injured to hospitals.

Fujairah Police have launched an investigation to establish the cause and urged the public not to circulate unverified claims about the victims, casualty figures or nationalities.

The accident came two days after another fatal crash in Fujairah. On November 10, a 28-year-old Emirati man and a 16-year-old Arab boy were killed when their car hit the rear of a parked truck on the Fujairah-Khorfakkan Road. Two others were injured.

Police have urged motorists to be cautious around trucks parked along roadsides, maintain safe distances, avoid speeding and refrain from using mobile phones while driving. Investigation reports into both accidents have not yet been released.