Tyre blowout kills 8; Salalah road toll 24

MUSCAT: A tyre blowout over the weekend resulted in a two vehicle collision, killing eight people and increasing the Salalah road death toll to 24 in just eight weeks.

Of the eight casualties, six were Omani citizens, while two were Yemeni nationals, according to the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

A preliminary investigation by the ROP revealed that the accident was caused by a tyre burst.

“Preliminary information about the accident in Haima shows that it occurred as a result of one of the vehicle’s tyres bursting, as the vehicle deviated to the opposite lane and collided with the other vehicle,” a police state- ment read. The two vehicle crash took place 30 km south of Haima, and two of the injured were airlifted to a hospital in Nizwa.

The ROP calls on drivers to use original tyres with the correct measurements and dates, to reduce the frequency of repeated tyre bursting incidents on this road. The ROP also calls on drivers to avoid exhaustion and speeding while driving.

The police released emergency contacts last month for six towns along the Salalah road after many people died on the road.

The towns go as far as Adam, which is located 176 km from Muscat, all the way to Thumrait, the last major city before the Dhofari capital of Salalah.