Car accident death toll rises 113 ahead of feast holiday ending

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

Some 113 people were killed on the first eight days of the de facto nine-day Eid al-Adha in traffic accidents around Turkey as a seasonal epidemic again wrought havoc on the country’s roads.

Another 624 people were wounded in accidents across the nation, but the toll was expected to rise further on the last day of the holiday.

The bloodiest day of the week-long break was the official second day of the feast, Oct. 16, in which 32 people died and 79 people were injured in several crashes, Doğan news agency reported.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Turkish vacationers hit the road yesterday to return to their homes, clogging highways across the country.

As holidaymakers who wanted to avoid the final-day rush kicked off the returning flood on Oct. 18, yesterday’s congestion was slightly less than expected.

Still, motorists faced long queues and congestion, particularly in the southern Marmara provinces, which are located on the way between Istanbul and top southern and western holiday spots.