At least eight people, including a nine-month-old baby, lost their lives and 33 others were injured after a passenger bus crashed and caught fire in western Turkey early Sunday, according to local media reports.
The incident took place at approximately 1:40am in Denizli province when a bus operated by Pamukkale Tourism veered into highway barriers while en route from Izmir to the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, reports AP/UNB.
The bus was carrying 38 passengers and three crew members at the time of the accident. Among the fatalities were the 50-year-old driver, the infant, and the child’s father.
Photographs from the scene revealed the bus extensively damaged and engulfed in flames along the roadside following the collision.
Emergency teams quickly transported the injured to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention. Authorities have yet to release information regarding the cause of the crash.
The accident occurred on the final day of Eid al-Adha, a period when road traffic typically surges across Turkey as millions of people travel to visit relatives or go on holiday. This spike in travel often contributes to an increase in road accidents.
