Abyan (South24 Center)

At least 15 people were killed and seven others injured in a devastating traffic accident in Abyan governorate, South Yemen, in the early hours of Wednesday (November 5) when a passenger bus traveling from Saudi Arabia collided head-on with a Toyota Voxy minivan at a dangerous curve along the mountainous ’Al-Arqoub‘ pass, causing both vehicles to burst into flames, according to medical and field sources.

A medical source told South24 that when the bus began its journey from Saudi Arabia it was carrying 42 people, according to the passenger list. Some of the passengers disembarked at stops in various governorates, including Hadramout, Shabwa, and other areas along the route. This means the actual number of passengers in the bus at the time of the accident remains undetermined.

The source reported that five bodies recovered at the site were completely charred, while some victims remain unidentifiable due to severe burning and the bodies being badly crushed. What made the accident more tragic is that the door system in the air-conditioned bus got jammed due to the impact, and the windows remained sealed, trapping passengers inside the burning bus.

Some passengers managed to smash the windows and escape but sustained varying degrees of burns and fractures. They were initially transported to Shuqra District Hospital and some were later transferred to Aden due to the limited local medical capabilities.

According to Yemen's Ministry of Transport, the bus (License Plate: 8830 A S A), a 2023 model, belonged to "Saqr Al-Hijaz" mass transport company. The accident occurred on a sharp mountain curve when the bus collided with a ’Toyota Voxy‘ minivan, causing the bus to overturn and burst into flames.

The ministry expressed profound grief over the tragic incident and extended condolences to the victims' families.

Transport authorities immediately dispatched specialized field teams to the accident site and to hospitals to monitor the injured, and coordinated with relevant entities to implement all necessary measures.

The ministry stated the ill-fated bus was properly licensed and met all safety and technical inspection standards recognized by both Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Eyewitnesses told South24 that both vehicles remained ablaze for hours due to the absence of fire services trucks and rescue teams, delaying putting out the fire and recovering the victims’ bodies.

The Al-Arqoub mountain pass remains one of Abyan's most dangerous roads due to steep declines and narrow curves that have led to multiple fatal accidents in recent years.

This tragedy follows another fatal crash less than three weeks earlier that killed 14 people, including women and children, on the international highway linking Hadramout and Marib when a passenger bus collided with a fuel tanker, leaving most victims charred beyond recognition.

These repeated deadly accidents raise serious concerns about deteriorating road infrastructure and absent safety systems and traffic oversight, particularly as land travel between Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Oman increases.