At least seven people were killed on Monday when the bus on which they were travelling collided with two trucks and burst into flames in eastern Turkey, Agence France-Presse reported, citing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Another 11 people were injured in the accident in Tutak, which is in Agri province near the borders with Iran and Armenia, according to Turkey’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.
“Seven of our citizens lost their lives in a bus that caught fire after it overturned. I wish them God’s mercy,” Erdoğan said at the end of a speech on another subject.
The passenger bus hit two trucks in Tutak, causing an enormous fire that engulfed all three vehicles and blanketed the highway in thick black smoke.
The vehicles’ charred frames were shown on Turkish television.
Initial reports indicate that two trucks were involved in a collision that caused a pileup dragging in the bus, Ağrı province governor Osman Varol said.
Numerous firefighters rushed to the scene to put out the massive blaze.