DUBAI // Two men who had to be cut free from a van after a road crash last month have died in hospital.
The Indians, M Saravanan and Kamash Kumar, worked as van salesmen for Abu Dhabi Maritime and Mercantile International.
The smash happened at 10pm on March 31 near Global Village in Dubai on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, formerly called Emirates Road.
A vehicle's tyre burst, forcing traffic to slow, and the driver tried to cut across several lanes to the hard shoulder.
The van carrying the victims - a driver and passenger - smashed into the back of a car that was forced to brake suddenly.
Police said at the time the van had to be cut open to rescue them.
The men were rushed to hospital but later died from their injuries.
"The crashed car had to be cut open to free the two men," a police spokesman said. "They suffered serious injuries and had to be taken to Rashid Hospital."
The spokesman said the rescue operation took about an hour, and no one else was injured as a result of the crash.
Mohamed Eliyas, who worked with both men, said: "Everyone is very sad in our company. We still can't accept what happened, we still think about it a lot."
He added that Mr Saravanan was due to celebrate his daughter's first birthday this month. He had been married for just two years.
"His family are very upset," Mr Eliyas said.
The bodies are believed to still be in Abu Dhabi and will be repatriated to their homes in India on Monday.
