RIYADH(National Times)- Nine people, including seven members of the same family, were killed after two vehicles collided in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahsa governorate in the Eastern Province, Saudi media reported.

The victims travelling in one vehicle were a husband and wife, their three sons and two daughters. Two young men travelling in the second vehicle also died in the crash.

The Eastern Province Traffic Department said the accident happened after one vehicle suddenly swerved, causing the collision.

Emergency teams, including Civil Defence and Saudi Red Crescent personnel, responded to the scene and worked to rescue those trapped inside the vehicles.

The fatal crash occurred on the Al-Uqair-Al-Uyun road, one of the routes serving Al-Ahsa and connecting the governorate with areas along the Eastern Province’s coast.

The accident comes as Saudi authorities continue efforts to reduce road deaths and improve traffic safety across the kingdom.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Ministerial Committee of Traffic Safety 2025 annual report, traffic fatalities fell by more than 60% between 2016 and 2025.

The report identified failure to maintain a safe following distance as the leading reported cause of road accidents, accounting for 29.2%, while sudden swerving accounted for 27.9%.

Saudi authorities have attributed the broader decline in road fatalities to measures including improvements to road infrastructure, greater use of traffic-monitoring technology and faster emergency response.

The Al-Ahsa crash nevertheless highlights the continuing risks on Saudi roads, with sudden manoeuvres among the leading reported causes of accidents.

Authorities have not provided further details about the identities of those killed or the circumstances that led to the vehicle suddenly changing direction.