2 killed, 40 injured in bus-truck collision

Two people (drivers of both the ill-fated vehicles) lost their lives on Friday when a Salalah-bound passenger bus collided with a truck on the accident-prone Adam-Thumrait road, 45 km from Haima. The bus was operated by the Salalah Line transport had 38 passengers on board, including the driver.

A few injured passengers were rushed to the hospital in Haima while the majority of them were shifted to the Nizwa Hospital in ambulances, which is around three to four hours drive by road.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) in an official statement said that it activated the emergency services at both Nizwa and Haima hospitals. The air ambulance services were provided by the Royal Army of Oman (RAO). The total number of injuries reported by MoH stands at 40, of which seven of them were critical, five serious, two moderate and 27 people had light injuries.

An official at the Nizwa Hospital told the Observer that it received 30 passengers, in which the condition of one Yemeni national is said to be serious. “Three passengers were brought in by a helicopter.”

According to Nasser Ahmed of Salalah Line, the bus left from Muscat Airport around midnight after 11.30 pm and most of the passengers had arrived by flight.

The bus had a morning halt at Haima and left for Salalah from around 5.30 am. The accident happened around 6-6.30 am on the single carriageway that has been notorious for some fatal accidents over the past few years.

Some of the passengers are expected to leave for Salalah after they get the fitness approval from the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

Passengers were mostly of the Asian and Arab nationalities, including the drivers. The bus driver was of a Pakistani nationality, whose name has been withheld till the official report is released.

A detailed report by the ROP is expected on Saturday.