Muscat: The vehicular movement continues to be affected in the Al-Mahal area of Samail due to road works and cleaning, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said on Saturday night.
'Only one lane is being used at the site of accident. Please use the alternative lane to reduce congestion by turning right at Al-Afia Bridge and then taking the old lane towards Muscat Governorate. Maintain a safe following distance. Thank you for your understanding and wishing you continued safety,' the ROP said.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported that six people died while 18 others suffered injuries as a result of the accident that occurred yesterday evening in the Al-Mahal area of the Wilayat of Samail in the Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate.
All six victims were women from the same family while 8 of the 18 injured were in critical condition as of Saturday.
Mohammed bin Salam al Hashami, Director of Public Relations at the ROP, said that the accident occurred before 8 PM on Friday. The truck involved, a tractor-trailer, was carrying coils of steel and traveling on Sultan Thuwaini bin Said Road towards Muscat.
He said that the accident coincided with a previous traffic accident near the site, which had caused a traffic jam and caught the truck driver by surprise.
As a result, the truck veered into oncoming traffic, and the steel it was carrying spilled over the median barriers separating the two directions of the road.
The police revealed that 15 vehicles were involved in the accident or sustained damage as a result of the collision.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, represented by the Transport Safety Department, is investigating the traffic accident to determine the causes and contributing factors of the accident.
The South Al Batinah Governorate extended its condolences and sympathy to the families and relatives of the victims of the tragic accident that occurred in the Wilayat of Samail.