Muscat: Ten people were killed in two separate accidents on the Adam-Salalah highway in one week alone, according to Oman Police.
On Friday, Five Omanis were killed and eleven others sustained injuries in a head-on collision between three vehicles in Qarn Al Alam area of Adam province, in central Oman.
The accident occurred due to wrong overtaking which led to the collision between the three vehicles. Five Omanis died instantly while 11 others sustained severe to moderate injuries. Some of them are still in critical condition in Nizwa Hospital, 150km from Adam province.
On Tuesday, four Omanis and an Ethiopian were killed in a head-on collision between their vehicle and a truck in Haima province, central Oman.
The accident occurred due to a tyre burst which caused the vehicle to drift and ram a truck on the opposite lane.
Four members of an Omani family and an Ethiopian maid were killed in the accident. Two of them were children.
The vehicle split into two due to the impact of the collision.
They were all heading to Salalah to spend their holiday when the two accidents occurred.
In total, 12 people have been killed in road accidents in the Adam-Salalah stretch in August so far.
On August 1, Two Emiratis were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Haima province in central Oman. The accident occurred when the driver of the four-wheel-drive lost control of the vehicle due to fatigue.
Oman Police added that the father and his son died on the spot, while the rest of the family sustained moderate injuries.
Salalah is a popular summer destination for many nationals of Gulf countries to escape the sweltering heat. It is known for its moderate temperatures and lush green landscapes.
An Oman Police official said that speeding and wrong overtaking are major reasons behind all road accidents on the Adam-Salalah stretch.
On average, two people are killed in road accidents every day in Oman. Oman has a high number of road accidents, with 6,276 crashes recorded in 2015, resulting in more than 675 deaths.
A total of 336 were killed in 2,100 road accidents nationwide until the end of June this year, according to National Centre for Statistics and Information (figures.
