Turkish officials have stated that a long-distance intercity bus veered off the road and overturned on a highway slope in the southern province of Antalya on Sunday (February 1), resulting in the deaths of 9 people including the bus driver, with 26 others sustaining injuries. The specific cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The accident reportedly occurred around 10:20 am local time on Sunday at Dosemealti, a district northwest of the city center of Antalya. Antalya is a popular tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast.
Footage from local television stations and on-site photos showed the overturned bus on a slope next to the highway.
Following the accident, emergency rescue teams promptly arrived at the scene and rushed the injured individuals to nearby hospitals for treatment. Hulusi Sahin, the governor of Antalya province, also visited the site to oversee the situation and rescue operations.
According to Sahin, the bus involved in the incident had departed from Tekirdag, the capital of Tekirdag province in northwest Turkey, for a night trip, but lost control on a curve in Dosemealti district, hitting the roadside barrier before flipping into a ditch.
Sahin informed reporters on-site that unfortunately, 8 people died on the spot. Despite all rescue efforts, the bus driver did not survive despite medical treatment, bringing the death toll to 9. He added that 7 of the injured individuals were in critical condition, with injuries such as limb fractures.
Reported by the local Demiroren News Agency (DHA), some passengers were ejected from the vehicle during the accident.
Sahin noted that Antalya had experienced continuous rainfall recently, causing slippery road conditions at the accident site coupled with heavy fog. He mentioned that such road conditions are not suitable for high-speed driving, and initial observations suggest that the bus involved may have been speeding.
Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunç, stated that relevant authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
On the same day, about 65 kilometers north of Antalya in Burdur, a fatal traffic accident occurred where two cars collided head-on on a highway, resulting in the deaths of 7 people and injuries to 5 others.
Turkey’s Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, previously expressed regret on social media about the domestic “traffic culture,” highlighting that in 2024, Turkey had a total of 6,351 fatalities in traffic accidents and mentioning the authorities’ efforts to tighten traffic regulations through related proposals.