Horrific Traffic Accident in Yemen Sparks Sadness and Anger on Social Media

SadaNews - Traffic accidents continue to claim more lives in Yemen, as 11 people were killed in a traffic accident that occurred yesterday, Tuesday, in Abyan province, southern Yemen, which sparked sadness and anger on social media platforms.

The accident took place on the international road next to the coastal Abyan province, involving a small Hyundai passenger bus and a heavy truck loaded with Qurans, at one of the dangerous turns, where the bus driver attempted to overtake a car in front of him, only to be surprised by a truck on the opposite lane.

A strong collision occurred, causing the bus to ignite immediately due to its highly flammable gas fuel, resulting in the burning of all those inside it.

The Abyan Security Administration stated that security forces represented by the traffic police and a team from the criminal investigation department headed to the accident site and provided ambulances to transport the injured to some hospitals, and they continue their efforts to reduce traffic accidents.

The death rate from traffic accidents in Yemen is approximately 30 deaths per 100,000 people in the population, which is double the global average of about 15 deaths per 100,000 people.

In 2025, the General Directorate of Traffic in the areas under the control of the Yemeni government reported that more than 4600 traffic accidents occurred in the provinces, resulting in 5100 injuries, with 690 fatalities.

Social media users reacted to the tragic traffic accident in Yemen through comments observed in episode (2026/2/25) of the program "Networks."

In a comment, Fawzan noted that minor accidents turn into disasters:

"They must ban gas in buses; people's lives are not for experiments or cost-saving. Any minor accident becomes a disaster if the bus is full of gas."

Salah commented on the state of roads in Yemen, saying:

"Broken roads and turns without barriers or lighting or clear signs... and then we wonder why accidents increase."

Hadi criticized what he described as the driver's recklessness, stating:

"Overtaking on a dangerous turn, may God guide him, is not skill or heroism; it is a disregard for people's lives… recklessness that costs innocent people their lives."

Meanwhile, Siman criticized the silence of the responsible authorities, saying:

"How long will we hear the same news… accidents, deaths, and statements, and then no real action? How many times must accidents happen before real action is taken?"

Abdullah commented on the difficulty of the scene, saying:

"Truly one of the hardest news you can receive about your loved ones is that one of them has died in an accident, suddenly, without preparation, goodbye, or anything."

It is worth mentioning that the accident that occurred in Abyan is the second-worst traffic accident in Yemen in recent months, as just months ago, 17 people lost their lives in a horrific accident on a dangerous mountainous road in Abyan as well.

Some provinces suffer from the density of main roads and poor infrastructure, as in 2024, Marib saw the highest accident rate at 35%, followed by Taiz at 13% and Lahij at 9%, while other provinces accounted for about 43% of the accidents.

Source: Al Jazeera