Narrow escape for four after SUV falls off RAK mountain
ras al khaimah — Three teenagers — aged 15, 16 and 19 — and a 20-year-old had a narrow escape after the SUV they were travelling in fell off a five-metre-high cliff on the Yans mountain to the east of the Ras Al Khaimah city, late on Monday.
Eyewitnesses and sources told Khaleej Times that the four occupants were “lucky” as their car landed on its tyres first before flipping over several times on the steep, rocky ravine.
“Two of them sustained moderate to serious injuries and fractures, while the other two escaped with minor ones.”
On being alerted about the mishap, the central operations room of the RAK Police dispatched traffic patrols, ambulances, civil defence men, paramedics, and rescue teams to the site.
“Despite the tough terrain where the car fell, the rescue teams managed to reach the injured, pull them out of their totally damaged vehicle, and rush them to the nearest hospital.”
Investigations are under way to ascertain the reason behind the accident, according to sources.
Major Tariq Al Sherhan, head of the ambulance and rescue section, RAK Police, said they were informed about the accident on Monday at 7.30pm. “It took place on a mountainous cliff some 25km off RAK city. Those on board the car were Emiratis based in Ras Al Khaimah.”
Initial enactment of the accident found that speeding was to be blamed, he said. “The young motorist was driving the car at a high speed that was not suitable for such a rough, bumpy, mountainous road.”
He wasn’t expecting the sharp curve along the way, so as their SUV approached the bend, he lost control over the steering wheel, Major Al Sherhan said.
“The driver wasn’t able to stop the car as it skidded off the steep edge of the cliff and landed on the Wadi Naqb valley.” Since the car landed on its tyres first, the impact of the fall was significantly decreased, he added.
A few days ago, four Emirati teenagers were killed in a road accident on the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road. The incident also left three other Emirati teenagers injured. Speeding, low tyre pressure, driver’s lack of experience and carrying more passengers than the vehicle’s capacity were blamed for the accident.