Public bus crashes into lake in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

AA photo

A public bus crashed into Istanbul's Küçükçekmece lake from a 50-meter-high route yesterday at 17:38 p.m., leaving 30 passengers wounded.

The bus reportedly lost control and crashed into the reeds next to the lake.

People living nearby rushed to the scene of the accident to help the wounded people and called for ambulances and firefighters. The passengers were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment and many were slightly wounded. Seven are still being treated in the hospital.

The bus was removed from the lake with the help of a heavy lifter.

Some eye witnesses claim the accident occurred as the municipality had not conducted sufficient salting on the local roads, despite the icy conditions.

In a written statement, the Istanbul Public Transport Authority (İETT) cited the harsh weather conditions as the cause of the accident.