At least 11 people have been killed, and 27 are injured following a horrific bus crash in Turkey.
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Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the deadly crash took place just after 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, Oct. 11, on the country's Gebze-Orhangazi-Izmir highway.
According to the outlets, the bus overturned after it smashed into a truck near the highway's entry.
Photos of the incident published by the news agency DHA show the heavily damaged bus lying on its side. The truck is also overturned, with what appears to be timber spilling out.
Manisa governor Vahdettin Ozkan told local media that the bus was carrying 34 passengers and three crew members. The truck was not carrying any passengers, according to Turkiye Today.
Bus Crash Results in Several Deaths and Dozens of Injuries
Of the 27 injured people, 16 were transported to hospitals under yellow-code classification, nine under green code and one under red code.
Turkey's interior minister, Mustafa Ciftci, wrote in a statement shared on X that the victims were citizens. Authorities have not determined if any of the victims were foreigners.
"Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), police, military forces, fire department and 112 health teams have been swiftly dispatched to the scene. [They] have begun intervention efforts. We are closely following the process together with all relevant institutions," Ciftci said.
AFP reported that the truck was allegedly traveling on the wrong side of the road, citing a report from local Turkish outlet Hurriyet.
Manisa governor Vahdettin Ozkan told local media that the prosecutor's office will take over the investigation.
"Work at the scene is currently ongoing under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor's Office," governor Ozkan said, per Al Jazeera. "We are experiencing, in a painful way, just how vital it is to strictly adhere to traffic rules."
Ozkan also offered his condolences to the victims' family and friends impacted by the tragedy.
Turkish media reported that both involved drivers were detained as part of an investigation into the crash. Their health conditions were not given.
