Five Azerbaijanis among eight people killed in bus accident in Turkey’s east

IĞDIR

Eight people, five of whom were Azerbaijani, were killed and 28 others were injured in a bus accident that occurred in the eastern province of Iğdır early on Feb. 20, Doğan News Agency has reported.  

Two passenger buses collided at the 20th kilometer of the Iğdır-Nakhchivan highway near the Dilucu border gate with Azerbaijan’s autonomous republic of Nakhchivan.

Iğdır Gov. Ahmet Turgay Alpman said the two buses collided due to heavy fog and an improper attempt to pass.
The drivers of both buses were killed in the accident.

A number of ambulances and rescue teams were dispatched to the area following the incident. Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) teams and fire crews also participated in the rescue operation.

Wounded passengers were taken to hospitals in the vicinity for treatment, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the morgue following a crime scene investigation by the gendarmerie. 

Five of the injured passengers were in critical condition, according to Alpman.

Alpman also made a statement about the accident during a visit to the injured passengers.

“Two buses collided on the highway, which had been reduced to a single lane due to road maintenance work at the 20th kilometer of the road. Eight passengers were killed, and 28 people were injured. The injured passengers were taken to Aralık and Iğdır state hospitals for treatment. Five of the injured people are in critical condition,” the governor said.

Alpman also stated that they were trying to identify the deceased passengers, noting that five of them of them were Azerbaijani citizens. 

The governor said the highway would be opened after the buses were removed from the road.