RIYADH, April 28: Eight men were killed when a taxi hit a camel and then rammed into an oncoming truck on the road between the Red Sea city of Jeddah and Madina, newspapers reported on Sunday.

The six passengers and driver of the taxi were all killed in the accident, which also claimed the truck driver’s life. The dead were identified as six Saudis and two Pakistani nationals.

Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest rates of road accidents with more than 35,000 people killed and 200,000 injured over the last 10 years, according to the transport ministry.

Wandering camels are a constant problem for motorists in Gulf countries. Official figures show that hundreds die every year in accidents caused by camels in Saudi Arabia alone.—AFP