Nine killed as passenger bus falls into ditch in Central Anatolian highway

SİVAS

The accident took place early in the morning, Jan. 27 as the buss was crossing the province of Sivas. AA photo

At least nine people were killed and 30 more were injured in a passenger bus accident caused by ice in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas on Jan. 27, less than a week after 21 people died in a similar bus crash nearby Kayseri.

Both deadly accidents highlighted the widespread use of bald tires by bus travel companies, which raise the risk of slipping during nights of winter weathers, especially in high and cold regions such as eastern and Central Anatolia.

In the wake of the last accident, the passenger bus departed from Erciş in the eastern province of Van and was going to Ankara overnight. It was crossing through Sivas after having made a stopover at a service station when the driver lost control due to slippery road conditions and went off the road, falling into a ditch.

Most of the passengers were sleeping when the accident occurred, the bus driver said. Injured passengers were transferred to hospitals in Sivas.

The tires of the bus were worn out, hence not equipped for the icy conditions of the road, initial findings showed.

Highways in Turkey’s central and eastern Anatolian provinces are prone to ice during the night due to the cold weather, increasing the danger for bus companies that conduct overnight journeys.

Last week, another passenger bus belonging to the Yeşil Muş Ovası Company crashed in Kayseri due to ice. The accident resulted in the death of 21 passengers in one of Turkey’s deadliest road accidents in recent years. The police initially said bald tires might have caused the accident.

An investigation is ongoing into another passenger bus accident in the Thracean region of Edirne on Jan. 26, injuring 13 people. In a similar scenario, the bus was travelling in the snowy weather when it slipped and tumbled over.