Eyewitness account of the accident on the Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway where 4 members of the same family died

Two eyewitnesses have shared their accounts with Gulf News regarding the tragic incident on January 2nd, when a horrific car accident occurred at dawn in the Al Ghantoot area, on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, claiming the lives of four Indian brothers from the same family and their domestic helper. A 24-year-old aircraft engineer residing in Dubai and her father were present at the scene when the accident happened, and they state that the terrifying scenes they witnessed are still vivid in their memories.

The accident claimed the lives of the four brothers, Ashaz (14), Ammar (12), Azzam (7), and Ayyash (5), as well as their domestic helper, Bushra Fayas (49). The children's parents, Abdul Latheef and Rukhsana, and their 10-year-old daughter, Eesa, survived.

At around 4:30 AM on the day of the accident, the eyewitness father and daughter were returning after dropping off a family member at the airport when they saw the car in front of them suddenly lose control and flip over to the right. The father described how a tire detached from the rapidly rolling car and flew towards them, and they narrowly escaped by braking instantly. The crashed car rolled several times before righting itself and coming to a stop. The eyewitnesses immediately called 999 to inform the police.

They immediately rushed to the accident vehicle and witnessed a very tragic scene. One child was lying on the road, while another child and the domestic helper were seen motionless, having been thrown off the road into the sandy area. However, the eyewitnesses stated that the mother and father, who were in the front seats of the car, were wearing seatbelts and were thus protected from being thrown out of the vehicle, and the airbags had deployed. The eyewitnesses believe that because the children and the helper in the back seats were not wearing seatbelts, they might have been thrown out through the broken windows or the sunroof when the vehicle rolled over.

Police and ambulances arrived at the scene within a short period of about 10 minutes. As rescue teams cut open the car, they heard the sound of a small child crying. This led to the rescue of the 10-year-old daughter, Eesa, who was trapped inside the car, and whose presence the eyewitnesses were initially unaware of. Based on information from the injured parents, the police searched the area and were able to find the bodies of two more children who had been thrown out of the vehicle. Eyewitnesses also stated that a black taxi was traveling in front of the accident vehicle at the time of the incident, and the taxi sustained minor damage from the collision with the crashed car.

Rukhsana, the mother who survived the accident, has now been discharged from the hospital and is currently recuperating at a relative's home in Dubai. The 10-year-old daughter, Eesa, has now been informed that she lost all four of her brothers in the accident, which relatives described as an extremely painful moment for the family. Eyewitnesses, deeply shocked by this tragedy, state that if passengers in the back seats had also worn seatbelts, this loss of life could have been prevented.