Minibus veers off cliff, killing two schoolchildren in southeast

BATMAN

A minibus carrying schoolchildren tumbled down a 300-meter-high cliff, killing two children and wounding 27 others in the Sason district of the southeastern province of Batman on March 10.

Officials said the children, Yasemin Yıldırım and Esat Yıldırım, were siblings.

The accident happened in the early hours of the day, eyewitnesses said.

The driver lost control of the vehicle, which later plunged off the cliff to eventually land on the nearby Gürgenli village.

Villagers immediately ran to the bottom of the cliff to rescue the children.

An eyewitness said the villagers carried the wounded children to the road swiftly.

Health officials said five of the 27 injured were in critical condition.

Hulusi Şahin, the governor of the province, came to the accident scene and helped in the rescue operation.

The driver, Eşref Yavuz, who was slightly injured, is being questioned by the police over the cause of the accident.