At least eight Indians were among the 17 people killed when a tourist bus rammed into a signboard in Dubai, the Indian Consulate said on Friday.

Nine persons were seriously injured when the driver of the bus, bearing an Omani number plate, wrongly entered a road not designated for buses towards Al Rashidiya metro station on Thursday.

The Indian Consulate in Dubai tweeted “We are sorry to inform that as per local authorities and relatives it is so far confirmed that 8 Indians have passed away in Dubai bus accident.” The Indian Consulate expressed condolences to the families of those who passed away in this tragic accident.

The bus, carrying 31 passengers, crashed into a height barrier, which slashed the rear window, cut into the left side of the bus and killed passengers sitting on that side, the Gulf News reported.

“The names of those who have passed away are Rajagopalan, Feroz Khan Pathan, Reshma Feroz Khan Pathan, Deepak Kumar, Jamaludeen Arakkaveettil, Kiran Johnny, Vasudev, Tilakram Jawahar Thakur,” it said.

The number of Indians who died in the Dubai bus accident has gone up to 12. Consul General Vipul tweeted that the Indian fatalities in Dubai bus accident have gone up to 12.

In a tragic bus accident, 17 people were killed last evening. 12 of these 17 people are Indian nationals.