At least 12 people were killed and 31 injured in southern Turkey’s Hatay province during a multi-vehicle crash. Three people were seriously injured, according to a report by Associated Press.
The accident occurred on Saturday when a truck crosses into opposite lanes after the driver lost control crashing with nine cars and two mini buses, reported state-run news agency Anadolu.
Several vehicles were parked by the roadside close to a gas station as friends and family members said goodbye to men leaving to carry out mandatory military service.
After the fires broke out on the Iskenderun-Antakya highway, 22 ambulances and three medical rescue teams were sent to the scene immediately in Topbogazli, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter.
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“May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives, I express my condolences to their relatives. We will do our best to ensure that the injured regain their health as soon as possible,” he minister wrote.
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According to the report by Anadolu, witnesses said that some of those killed had burned to death. Vehicles on fire can be seen in photos and videos being posted on social media, showing the chaotic situation after the crash as the vehicles burned and emergency teams tried to keep people away from the blaze.
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The truck was carrying excavated earth rubble. It collided with another truck before crossing the highway at around 7 pm local time, as per reports by private news agency Demiroren. Among the 11 Turkish provinces, Hatay was one of the worst hit by the February 6 earthquake that severely affected parts of Turkey and Syria. As per government data, at least 50,783 died in Turkey.
