A devastating early morning bus crash in southern Turkey has claimed seven lives and left eleven people injured. The intercity coach slammed into the back of a stationary articulated lorry on a major motorway.
Scene of the Collision
The tragedy unfolded on the highway connecting the cities of Adana and Gaziantep. According to reports from Turkey's Anadolu Agency, the lorry had pulled over after suffering a tyre blowout. The bus, travelling in the middle lane, ploughed into the rear of the heavy goods vehicle.
Horrifying footage from the scene, approximately 55 miles west of Gaziantep, showed the front right section of the bus completely mangled by the force of the impact. Dozens of emergency service personnel, including police officers, firefighters and paramedics, were dispatched to the crash site.
Survivor Accounts and Ongoing Investigation
All of the casualties were on board the bus, according to the Osmaniye governor's office. Efforts to formally identify the victims are ongoing. Those injured were transported to hospitals across Osmaniye province.
The lorry driver, who survived the collision, has been detained by police. The road was closed for investigation following the incident.
One survivor, Mehmet Avci, spoke to local media from his bed in Düziçi State Hospital. He claimed the bus driver had been speeding prior to the accident. "I knew something like this would happen because the driver was speeding," Avci stated.
He described a prior delay due to a flat tyre and said the driver subsequently increased his speed. "I couldn't see it clearly, but there was a car on the left. When he couldn't pass it, he tried to pass on the right. When there was a truck on the right, he hit it," Avci recounted.
Avci, who was sitting in seat number 13 behind the driver, expressed unease about the driving earlier in the journey. "There was something odd about the way the driver was driving the bus. I even considered getting off in Osmaniye," he admitted.
Aftermath and International Response
Following the crash, Avci and other passengers managed to exit the bus themselves before ambulances arrived at the scene.
The UK's Foreign Office has been contacted for comment regarding whether any British nationals were involved in the motorway accident. The investigation into the precise causes of the fatal collision continues.
