In Turkey’s Hatay province, a multi-vehicle crash has killed at least 12 people while 31 others were injured. Three people as per news agency AP are grievously injured.
The accident, as per reports, happened late on Saturday when a truck crossed into the opposite lane after its driver lost control. It then collided with nine cars and two minibuses, reported state-run news agency Anadolu.
Several of these vehicles, as per the AP report, were parked alongside the road near a fuel station, with loved ones bidding farewell to men departing for Turkey’s mandatory military duty.
As per a tweet by Turkey Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, 22 ambulances and three medical teams were dispatched to the scene of the accident in Topbogazali. He also said that after the crash on the Iskenderun-Antakya highway, fires broke out at the scene.
Antakya’nın Topboğazlı mevkiinde yaşanan zincirleme trafik kazasında bir kamyonla otobüste yangın meydana gelmiş, 12 vatandaşımız hayatını kaybetmiş, 3’ü ağır olmak üzere 31 vatandaşımız yaralanmıştır.
Olay yerine 22 ambulans ve 3 UMKE Ekibi görevlendirilmiştir.
Hayatını…
— Dr. Fahrettin Koca (@drfahrettinkoca) May 6, 2023
Witnesses, as per the Anadolu report, claimed that some of those killed had burned to death. Vehicles on fire can be seen in videos and pictures circulating on social media, depicting the chaotic scene after the crash.
Take a look:
They show vehicles burning, as emergency teams attempt to keep people away from the blaze.
“May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives, I express my condolences to their relatives,” tweeted Koca.
“We will do our best to ensure that the injured regain their health as soon as possible,” he added.
The truck, as per Demiroren, a private news agency, was carrying excavated earthquake rubble. It hit another truck before crossing the highway at around 7 pm local time (1600 GMT).
In February, Turkey was hit by a massive earthquake. Of the 11 affected Turkish provinces, Hatay was one of the worst hit by the February 6th earthquake.
(With inputs from agencies)
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