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At least 31 Indians were injured, including three critically, in a series of collision involving 200 cars due to heavy fog on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway.
Earlier reports put the number of dead at between six and eight, but late last night the authorities confirmed only three people died in one of the worst road accidents in the United Arab Emirates.
The accident took place early Tuesday at Ghantoot on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai because of poor visibility.
Due to the impact of collision, about 25 cars caught fire, police said. According to officials in the Indian embassy, none of the dead include Indians, but unconfirmed reports said there were two Indians among the dead.
Srinivas Babu, first secretary in the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi, told PTI that the injured Indians were admitted in various hospitals of Abu Dhabi (22 in Mafraq hospital, 6 Rahba Hospital, 2 Khalifa Hospital) and one in Rashid Hospital in Dubai.
Babu said the embassy is in constant touch with the local authorities to provide relief to the injured and to know details on the accident.
Khamis I Mohammad, deputy of traffic and patrol Abu Dhabi police said, "It was a disaster scene, everyone was speeding and after the first crash happened people just started hitting each other."