YouTube video of crash

Website YouTube.com has video coverage of the devastating 200-car pileup on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway on Tuesday morning, which killed eight people and injured 85.

"Oh my God, it's horrible... looks almost like a natural calamity," said one user of the site.

Eye-witnesses and emergency workers said the cars smashed into each other in thick fog at around 6.45 am (0245 GMT) on the Dubai-bound side of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road.

Ninety-two cars caught fire in the smash-ups, said Khalifa Al Darrai, chief executive of the Ambulance Service Centre in Dubai.

"Patients were lying on the road. Thankfully, they had abandoned their cars or else the death toll would have risen significantly," Al Darrai said.

Sources at Rashid Hospital in Dubai said that 40 people were admitted to their emergency department, but 20 were discharged after being given treatment. Casualties were also taken to Al Rahba and Al Mafraq hospitals in Abu Dhabi.

"It was a disaster scene, everyone was speeding and after the first crash happened people just started hitting each other," Khamis I. Mohammad, deputy of traffic and patrol Abu Dhabi police said.

Horror car pile-up kills 3, injures 347
WRAP-UP: Death and injury toll after UAE's worst traffic acccident.

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Support Defensive Driving
Posted by Prof Philbert, Salmiya/ Kuwait on Wednesday 12 March 2008 at 07:48 UAE time

It is a tragedy that could have been averted if the drivers were to learn curbing their instincts to speed in a low visibility road conditions.

Road accidents are not premeditated but could be prevented by careful training that is much to be desired in most of the GCC countries. No signaling, overlooking red signs and plain lack of courtesy to fellow drivers and pedestrians that is evident on highways.

May our Lord give a good sense of safety to those driving at break-neck speed that is the main killer in the GCC besides the heart attacks. My prayers goes to those families who have lost their dear ones in this accident and rapid recovery to all in critical condition.

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