Heavy fog that caused 44-car pile-up in Abu Dhabi

The National -- Heavy fog is expected to continue over the coming days as low visibility caused a 44-vehicle pile-up in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning.

The National Centre of Meteorology said stable weather with "cold nights, clear skies, moist air and light winds will keep the chance of fog formation high over most internal areas and the northern coastal areas, with visibility dropping to less than 100 metres in some areas.”

“Fog is expected to form during the upcoming days over night and the early morning hours and is expected to lift after 9am to 10am.”

Twenty-two people were injured in Tuesday's major road accident on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road, which Abu Dhabi police said involved 44 vehicles.

He said the accident was caused by heavy fog, low visibility and drivers’ noncompliance to safety rules, speeding and failing to keep proper safety distance.

“Traffic police patrols rushed to the scene in record time, as well as teams from civil defence, ambulances, and recovery vehicles, which worked together to secure the road before moving all affected vehicles to prevent the accident from developing further,” Brig Al Khaiaili said.

Abu Dhabi police urged motorists to be cautious while on the road during fog, especially as visibility can differ from one location to another.

He urged motorists to leave double the safety distance when visibility is very low and to maintain a proper speed.

The dramatic moment the crash happened was captured on video by commuters who are seen leaving their cars and climbing over the barrier to escape as vehicles pile up. Two men are seen running out of the way just before a heavy goods vehicle, which the driver could not control due to the speed it was travelling at, collided into stationary traffic.

A man is heard screaming and urging others to stay out of the way: “Hello, hello, cars are coming so fast, please stay out of the way, god protect us, god protect us in this heavy fog,”

The injured were referred to hospital.