An Omani was charred to death in a horrific collision involving three vehicles in Rustaq province on Monday evening.

According to the Royal Oman Police (ROP), initial investigation showed that there was a cooking gas cylinder inside the vehicle that exploded on impact.

Three other persons sustained injuries, but were in stable condition at Rustaq Hospital. An official at the ROP said that overtaking on the wrong side was the cause of the tragic accident.

The accident caused a huge traffic snarl that lasted for more than two hours.

Oman has had to deal with a high number of road accidents and fatalities, with 6,276 crashes recorded in 2015 that resulted in more than 675 deaths.

So far this year, 540 people have been killed in road accidents, which constitute a 1.3 per cent increase in fatalities year on year.

In all, 2,145 people have been injured in road accidents this year, compared to 2,879 last year.

Speeding and overtaking on the wrong side have been cited as the main causes leading to road accidents in Oman.

On average, two people die in road accidents every day in Oman.

source: GULF NEWS