Dubai bus crash: Driver jailed for 7 years, ordered to pay Dhs3.4m in blood money

The driver of the bus that crashed in Dubai killing 17 people last month has been sentenced to seven years in jail and ordered to pay Dhs3.4m in blood money to the families of the victims.

The 53-year-old driver from Oman was charged with causing the wrongful death of 17 passengers and injuring 13 others.

Along with the prison term, the accused has been ordered to pay a fine of Dhs50,000 by the Dubai Traffic court. His licence has been suspended for one year and he will be deported after serving the term.

The accident took place when the bus operated by Mwasalat, which was travelling from Muscat to Dubai, struck an overhead height barrier close to the Rashidiya Metro station on June 6.

The driver reportedly took a wrong left turn into a road not designated for buses. He admitted in court that he used a sun shade, due to which he missed the signboard.

According to the prosecution, he was driving at 94 kilometres per hour on a road with a speed limit of 40kph, when he hit the barrier.

Among those killed, 12 were Indian nationals, two were Pakistanis, one was an Omani national and one was an Irish national.