Some 28 killed in road accidents during Eid, says minister

ANKARA

Some 28 people were killed on roads in the first four days of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has announced.

“While eight people have died on July 8, eight died the day after, the first day of the holiday,” Soylu said on social media. “Nine have died on the second day, while three have died on the last day of the festival.”

The minister also urged people who will return their hometowns to obey the traffic rules and wear seat belts, adding that the ministry is on alert for the holiday traffic until July 18.

Millions hit the road as Türkiye is celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the second most important religious festivity after Eid al-Fitr, causing traffic jams in many cities.

However, many people, who didn’t celebrate the feast in traditional methods, flocked to summer resorts during the Eid holiday.

There were kilometers-long queues of cars on the main roads and busy streets of the coastal towns such as Bodrum.

The Islamic Eid al-Adha holiday started on July 9 and ended on July 12, but the holiday period has been extended to nine days to cover July 13 and 14, giving people an opportunity to divide the holiday between family visits and vacation.