At least eight people died and 11 others were injured in a collision between a passenger van and a truck in Gaziantep district, southeastern Turkey, Hurriyet Daily News reported. According to local media, the van was traveling today to the nearby city of Hatay when it collided with a concrete truck. The minibus was crushed in the impact and fell down a slope.
Following reports from passers-by who saw parts of the van scattered in the area, numerous emergency teams were dispatched to the scene. Initial assessments by the security and health teams indicate that all eight people who lost their lives in the accident were passengers in the van, Darik Radio clarifies.
Another 11 people were transported to hospital with injuries, Turkish authorities said.
Although the cause of the deadly accident has not yet been established, initial checks on the ground indicate that the truck lost control due to high speed, Gaziantep District Governor Kemal Cheber said.
After the assistance provided, the driver of the truck will be detained, noted Cheber.
The Minister of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change, Mehmet Özhaseki, expressed his condolences for those who died in the accident in a post on social networks.