A truck crossed lanes and hit several cars in southern Turkey on Saturday, leaving at least 12 dead and dozens more injured according to local reports as investigations get underway
Twelve people were killed and dozens injured when a truck driver lost control and crossed into the opposite lane, causing a huge pile up.
The large vehicle collided with nine cars and two minibuses in the tragedy on Saturday night in southern Turkey’s Hatay province.
Local news reported several vehicles had been parked by a gas station where friends and relatives were saying goodbye to men leaving for their mandatory military service.
Witnesses said some of the victims had burned to death.
Dozens of ambulances rushed to the scene of the accident.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca shared his shock on Twitter, saying: “In the chain traffic accident that took place in the Topboğazlı district of Antakya, a fire occurred in a truck and a bus, 12 of our citizens lost their lives and 31 of our citizens were injured, 3 of them seriously.
“Twenty two ambulances and three UMKE Teams were assigned to the scene.
“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.
“I say goodbye to each of them.”
The truck was said to be carrying excavated earthquake rubble and hit another truck before crossing the highway at around 7pm.
Photos from the scene showed several burned out vehicles in the area as emergency crews helped survivors and kept people back from the flames.
The area was one of the worst hit of the 11 Turkish provinces affected by an earthquake in February which devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.
The first tremor, in the early hours of February 6, had a Richter magnitude of 7.7, while the second was 7.6.
They killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and over 7,000 in northern Syria, and were followed by thousands of aftershocks. At least 50,783 died in Turkey, according to the government.
The Turkish government aims to replace 319,000 buildings within a year but there is criticism of both its unpreparedness for this disaster and lax enforcement of building codes.
After the tragedy a three-and-a-half-month-old baby was reunited with its mother, 54 days after being rescued from the rubble.
Vetin Begdas was saved in the Hatay province 128 hours after devastating twin earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria at the start of February.
She had been named Gizem (Mystery) by the medical authorities who took care of her after she was rescued.
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