Two Sri Lankans killed in Abu Dhabi bus crash

Two women from Sri Lanka were among those killed in a horrific bus crash in Abu Dhabi last week, officials confirmed yesterday.

The early-morning accident on the outskirts of the city on Thursday left six dead and 19 injured, the National reported. The tragedy unfolded as the minibus, carrying a team of female cleaners left the capital and headed towards Al Shahama in the Emirate.

Soon after, their vehicle collided with the back of a lorry, with the impact of the high-speed crash destroying much of the front of the minibus.

On Saturday, road safety campaigners in the UAE renewed calls to increase the safety standards of minibuses operating in the country. Experts said some vehicles lacked seat belts and all needed more regular inspections and maintenance. “We’ve been pushing for a long time for mandatory safety features on minibuses,” said

Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of Road Safety UAE.

“It would also be a good idea to think about increasing how often they are checked, from once a year [now] to three or four times. These are commercial vehicles that are used to drive long distances on a daily basis. It stands to reason they should be checked as often as possible.”

The minibus involved in last week’s crash was travelling on Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street when the accident happened at 6.30 am. All the passengers on board the vehicle are understood to have worked as cleaners for a UAE company called MBM. So far, only one of the six killed in the crash has been named. Krishna Kumari Adhikari, 44, was from Nepal, as were many of the injured.

The two Sri Lankan women who died were aged 35 and 50. Police have yet to release their names.