24 people killed in Al Ain bus crash

Twenty four people died and 24 others were injured on Monday when the bus they were travelling in was involved in a road smash with a lorry in the UAE city of Al Ain, police said on Monday.

The accident took place in the morning when the truck crashed into the bus which was carrying Asian 46 workers and ended up on top of it, General Hussein al-Harithi, director of Abu Dhabi traffic said, according to WAM state news agency.

The smash happened on the Al Ain-Abu Dhabi Truck Road, near Al Rawdah palace, local daily Gulf News reported.

The bodies of the workers have been transferred to Al Ain Hospital’s morgue, while the injured have been transferred to Al Ain, Al Tawam, Al Noor and NMC hospitals, Gulf News said.

The truck driver lost control of his vehicle, causing it to land on top of the bus and trap its passengers under the cargo of gravel, police said of the incident.

The bus was reportedly carrying 46 cleaners from various companies.

While police did not release nationalities of the victims, Gulf News said those killed included 20 Bangladeshis and one Pakistani.

Police have cordoned off the area while the investigation and recovery work is carried out.

*With inputs from agencies