Passenger bus crash in Yozgat claims 12 lives, leaves 19 injured

YOZGAT

A tragic bus accident in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat's Sorgun district has left 12 people dead and 19 passengers injured, according to preliminary reports.

The incident occurred late on Aug. 20 when a passenger bus carrying 31 individuals on its route from nearby Sivas province to Istanbul veered off the road and crashed into a stockade near a sugar factory at the exit of the district.

Local authorities dispatched health, police, gendarmerie and rescue teams to provide assistance. Tragically, 11 passengers lost their lives on impact, while one injured individual succumbed to injuries at hospital.

The exact cause of the accident remains unknown, as the bus inexplicably left its designated lane in the direction of travel, crossed into oncoming traffic and careened off a cliff into a 30-meter-deep stockade.

Officials have indicated that initial findings point to possible driver negligence and lack of caution as contributing factors. Yozgat Governor Mehmet Ali Özkan, speaking to private broadcaster NTV, stated, "The primary reasons appear to be recklessness and negligence. It's possible that there was also a lapse in awareness. These details will emerge as the ongoing investigation progresses."

Cihat Çalışkan, a survivor receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in the crash, recounted the incident from his hospital bed. "The bus suddenly collided with the barriers on the median. It careened into the trees after striking the second barrier, veering both right and left before plummeting towards the cliff," he stated.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç expressed condolences for the lives lost in the accident and confirmed the initiation of a judicial inquiry into the incident. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also extended his condolences to the victims' families and urged all drivers to adhere to traffic regulations to prevent such tragedies.