15-vehicle pileup in thick UAE fog

Driving with the hazard lights did not make it any safer for motorists going to work on Thursday as the thick mist resulted in a 15-vehicle smash-up  on Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway.

The pile-up took place during the early morning rush-hour drive near Ghantoot, outbound Abu Dhabi, causing massive traffic snarls on the busy highway.

At least six other traffic accidents were reported in 30 minutes in Dubai.

The Ghantoot pileup occurred at around 7 am when a truck, a workers' bus and 13 vehicles rammed into each other, an eyewitness told Gulf News.

The accident caused a tailback and slow moving traffic for about 45 minutes.

Police have been warning motorists to exercise caution while driving in foggy conditions and low visibility and beware of slippery roads caused by the mist

In its daily forecast, the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said that fog and a limited visibility of 500 metres affected internal and coastal areas, with levels of humidity of that reached up to 95 per cent

Due to poor visibility on the roads, multiple accidents broke out across the busy highways and main roads in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Further accidents also affected commuters driving on Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road, near Ghantoot, and along Al Samaha close to Abu Dhabi

The weather is expected to continue until Friday, with heavy fog expected in the early morning and late at night.

Temperatures are expected to reach to lows of 11 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 32 degrees Celsius across the UAE, with northwesterly winds that is likely to spread dust and sand over exposed areas of cities

source : gulfnews