Emirati sisters honoured for saving family trapped in burning car

Maitha and Amnah Muftah raced to the rescue after vehicle burst into flames following crash in Ras Al Khaimah

Maitha and Amnah Muftah were honoured by Ras Al Khaimah Police for their role in rescuing a family injured in a car accident last month. Ras Al Khaimah Police

Two quick-thinking Emirati sisters who came to the rescue of a family trapped inside a burning car after an accident have been honoured by Ras Al Khaimah Police.

Maitha Muftah, 43, and her sister Amnah, 41, were travelling back from Ras Al Khaimah Airport when they noticed flames in the distance.

Maitha, who previously worked at RAK Police headquarters, decided to take a detour to reach the scene on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road in the hope of providing help.

“We took a sandy road to reach the location of the car,” Maitha told The National.

The siblings discovered six members of a Pakistani family lying on the ground, while their crashed car was engulfed in flames with two children and their father inside.

Maitha took the fire extinguisher from her own vehicle to put out the blaze.

The family of nine comprised a couple and their five children, as well as the woman's elderly parents.

Disaster struck when a tyre burst, causing the vehicle to overturn several times before hurtling into a wall under a bridge. It then caught fire.

The accident took place in late August, police said.

“The elderly woman was asking us to check on her daughter and her grandchildren while the daughter was asking us about her children,” said Amnah.

Amnah spoke to the injured women on the ground, keeping them calm while retrieving first-aid supplies from their car to tend to minor injuries.

Several bystanders had already alerted emergency services, with ambulance, police and fire crews quickly arriving to come to the aid of the stricken family.

Fire crews pulled the father and his two children out of the car.

“We stayed until the last member of the family was taken to the hospital,” said Maitha.

She said they were carrying out their civic duty and wouldn't hesitate to do the same again in the future.

Police did not disclose details of injuries suffered by the family as a result of the crash.

The sisters were recognised at a ceremony held by RAK Police.

“The force is honouring them for their role in rescuing the injured,” police officials said.

Their actions saved lives and set an inspiring example to others, the authorities said.