Muscat: The tragic accident on Friday, due to a collision between vehicles near Samail in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, led to the death of six people and injuries to 18 others, eight of whom are in critical condition.
According to sources, the victims are six women from the same family.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, represented by the Transport Safety Department, is investigating the traffic accident that occurred on Sultan Thuwaini bin Said Road in the Wadi Bani Rawaha area of the Wilayat of Samail to determine the causes and contributing factors of the accident.
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 indicated that the accident coincided with a previous traffic accident near the site, which caused a traffic jam, and it surprised the truck driver.
As a result, the truck veered into oncoming traffic, and the steel it was carrying spilled over the to 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.
According to reports following the accident, cargo on the truck reportedly became unfastened and spilled over to the busy road. Some discussions on social media noted an increase in heavy vehicle traffic on major routes under current regional logistics demands.
Members of the public called for effective measures to reduce the risks posed by heavy vehicles, such as restricting operations during peak hours or allocating specific lanes and timings for them. Suggestions also included tightening the inspection of truck loads and driver certifications.
Furthermore, there were calls to address traffic black spots and utilize intelligent monitoring systems for early warnings.
Regular users of the road suggested that establishing cargo inspection stations could improve overall safety.
Some have also highlighted the dangers of road rage and impatient driving around heavy vehicles. Instances of reckless speeding and aggressive maneuvers to bypass slower traffic often contribute to such tragedies. Authorities continue to urge all drivers to adhere to speed limits and maintain safe distances to prevent further loss of life.
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