One dead and 12 injured in labourer bus crash in Sharjah

SHARJAH // A bus transporting workers to their accommodation tipped over, killing one and injuring 12.

Police said a faulty tyre caused the light bus to swerve and then roll over on Maliha Road.

One Asian man died and all the other passengers, of Arab and Asian nationalities, suffered minor to severe injuries, reported The National's Arabic sister paper, Al Ittihad, on Thursday.

Police patrols, police ambulances and national ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene. The injured were rushed to Al Dhaid Hospital, Al Qassimi Hospital and Kuwait Hospital, all in Sharjah, by ambulance and by police helicopter.

Col Saif Mohammed Al Shamsi, head of the external regions police directorate, urged drivers of all vehicles to drive within the speed limits, to maintain caution and attention and to keep away from any matter that may cause their attention to deviate while driving, especially drivers of buses, light and heavy lorries and machinery.

He urged all drivers and road users to abide by road-safety measures and to check tyres before they took to the road, especially in the summer because it is the season during which the most tyre blowouts occur.