Eight dead in Oman car crash

Eight people lost their lives in a two-car collision near Salalah late on Sunday night.

According to a statement from the Royal Oman Police (ROP), "A two vehicle collision in the vicinity of Qatbeet, Salalah, led to the deaths of eight people, five of which were Omani citizens."

Qatbeet lies close to Maqshan, in Northwestern Dhofar.

"The crash took place at 11:30 last night," the statement added.

A spokesperson from the ROP added that the vehicles were travelling towards Salalah when the crash took place.

"Of the eight casualties, two were from Pakistan and another was of unspecified nationality. One car was a taxi, which had three males and one female. This car collided with the other, that had four passengers, leading to five instantaneous deaths.

"Three injured were tranferred by ambulance to Maqshan health centre, and then by ROP's aviation department to the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah, where they, too, lost their lives," the spokesperson added.

A photo released by ROP showed employees of PACDA rushing people into ambulances.