Several injured in tunnel pile-up

BOLU

Several passengers have been injured in a pile-up inside Mount Bolu Tunnel on a highway that connects Istanbul and Ankara, halting the traffic flow for a while.

The accident, believed to have occurred due to excessive speed and carelessness, involved 18 vehicles, including trucks, semi-trailers and intercity buses, as well as many cars.

Security forces and emergency units were conveyed to the scene to help those who were wounded in the pile-up in which it was considered a miracle that no one died.

Videos shown by media outlets showed a car sliding in the middle of the road after hitting the tunnel wall and its driver and another passenger rushing to the emergency exits.

A truck hits the car and other vehicles follow, leading to chaos in seconds.

Speaking to reporters, Bolu Governor Ahmet Ümit noted that there were around 30 people injured in the crash, while one driver was in critical condition.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said on Twitter that 17 people were admitted to hospitals in nearby settlements after the crash, including three who were heavily injured.

The highway was opened to traffic again hours after the pile-up with the efforts of local authorities.