ABU DHABI // A school bus carrying children to class veered off the road and crashed into a palm tree lining a major road in the capital.
The vehicle left the road and crashed into the tree on Khaleej Al Arabi Street just after 8.35am.
Photographs seen by The National show significant damage to the front of one bus. Unofficial reports suggest two buses were involved – one rear-ending another – but this has not been confirmed.
It also remains unclear if any children were injured. A second image appears to show emergency crews administering treatment to young children laying on the ground.
Police have yert to comment on the crash, which happened on the northbound carriageway, heading off the island.
Meanwhile, motorists in the capital were urged to drive with caution on Thursday morning.
Motorists said the bus appeared to have veered off the road before hitting a tree. Fire crews were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport reported via Twitter the closure of Khaleej Al Arabi Street to Mussaffah Road due to the accident. Drivers were asked to take alternative roads.
By 9.06am, the road had reopened to traffic, but motorists were told to expect delays.
Meanwhile, another crash on Khaleej Al Arabi Street was reported at 8.37am, which resulted in the temporary closure of two lanes, according to the DMAT’s Darb real-time traffic data.
The department also reported slow-moving traffic near Maqta Bridge, where four lanes of traffic were affected between 8.14am and 8.44am.
Motorists also experienced heavy congestion on Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street for about 30 minutes, from 8.20am.
(via The National)
