Kamakazy
15-06-04, 05:27 PM
MUSCAT — Seven people were killed and two others injured when two speeding cars swerved off the highway at Maabelah in the wilayat of Seeb and smashed into a row of roadside commercial establishments yesterday evening. The fatalities included some of the occupants of the vehicles, as well as customers sitting at tables placed outside a coffee shop hit by one of the cars. Among the dead and injured were members of an Omani family travelling in one of the vehicles, and expatriate workers dining at the cafeteria.
The mishap occurred at around 7.15pm at Sheradi where a wadi intersects the highway at Maabelah. Witnesses said both vehicles involved in the crash were travelling on the southbound side of the carriageway in the direction of Seeb. Suddenly, one of the cars veered off the road and careened into the Zuwaina bint Sulaiman & Sons Trading Coffee Shop, popularly known as the 'Maabelah Juma Restaurant'.
It finally came to a halt after flipping over on two cars parked nearby. Close on its heels came the second vehicle, which also damaged storefronts and parked cars. Both vehicles ended up in chunks of wrecked metal, with debris strewn across a wide area around the accident site. Authorities later carted away the larger pieces of wreckage, it is learnt. The Maabelah Juma Restaurant took the brunt of the impact from the first vehicle. Smashed masonry, furniture and glass littered the storefront where a handful of customers were earlier tucking into snacks and tea, witnesses said.
The second vehicle also barrelled into an adjoining commercial establishment, which was unused at the time of the crash. Local residents said the shop was being converted into a restaurant. In addition, two telephone booths installed outside the premises suffered some damage as well. Several electric poles in the vicinity of the coffee shop were also damaged in the mishap, while some overhead cables were cut. Emergency crews cut power supplies to the area and later began replacing some of the damaged poles. The Royal Oman Police, which launched investigations into the mishap, has urged motorists to adhere to speed limits and other traffic regulations.
source: http://www.omanobserver.com/
The mishap occurred at around 7.15pm at Sheradi where a wadi intersects the highway at Maabelah. Witnesses said both vehicles involved in the crash were travelling on the southbound side of the carriageway in the direction of Seeb. Suddenly, one of the cars veered off the road and careened into the Zuwaina bint Sulaiman & Sons Trading Coffee Shop, popularly known as the 'Maabelah Juma Restaurant'.
It finally came to a halt after flipping over on two cars parked nearby. Close on its heels came the second vehicle, which also damaged storefronts and parked cars. Both vehicles ended up in chunks of wrecked metal, with debris strewn across a wide area around the accident site. Authorities later carted away the larger pieces of wreckage, it is learnt. The Maabelah Juma Restaurant took the brunt of the impact from the first vehicle. Smashed masonry, furniture and glass littered the storefront where a handful of customers were earlier tucking into snacks and tea, witnesses said.
The second vehicle also barrelled into an adjoining commercial establishment, which was unused at the time of the crash. Local residents said the shop was being converted into a restaurant. In addition, two telephone booths installed outside the premises suffered some damage as well. Several electric poles in the vicinity of the coffee shop were also damaged in the mishap, while some overhead cables were cut. Emergency crews cut power supplies to the area and later began replacing some of the damaged poles. The Royal Oman Police, which launched investigations into the mishap, has urged motorists to adhere to speed limits and other traffic regulations.
source: http://www.omanobserver.com/