17 killed in Dubai bus crash

June 7 (UPI) -- Seventeen people have died and several others were injured following a bus accident in Dubai, authorities said.

The Dubai Police Headquarters said on Twitter the bus, carrying 31 passengers, crashed into a road sign at around 5:40 p.m. while driving along the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. The bus was returning to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from Muscat, Oman, after the Eid holiday.

Fifteen people were initially reported dead but that number increased after two more passengers succumbed to their injuries, police said.

"The cause of the unfortunate incident is still being investigated," Dubai police said in a tweet.

The driver, described only as being in his 50s, sustained only moderate injuries and was being treated at Rashid Hospital in Dubai, police said.

Dubai Police Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Abdullah Khalifa al-Marri called the accident a tragedy.

"Sometimes a slight error or negligence during driving of the vehicle leads to dire consequences as happened this evening and led to the deaths of 17 people of different nationalities," he said.

Among the dead were eight Indian nationals, the Consulate General of India in Dubai said.

It initially reported that six Indians were dead but increased that number to eight an hour later as bodies were still being identified. Four Indians have since been discharged from Rashid Hospital while three others were still receiving treatment there, it said.

"[The] Consulate is in touch with relatives of some of the deceased & awaits further details for others to inform their families," it said.

The nationalities of the other passengers have yet to be released.

Omani national bus company Mwasalat said it has suspended all services between the two countries' capitals after consulting with Dubai's road and transportation authority, it said in a statement.

"[The] Mwasala family expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured," it said, adding that it is in contact with the authorities about the accident.