Collision in Western Turkiye Results in 11 Fatalities and 27 Injuries

A collision between a tour bus and a tow truck in western Turkiye has resulted in 11 fatalities and 27 injuries. The incident occurred near toll booths at Akhisar on the Gebze-Orhangazi-Izmir highway in Manisa province on Sunday morning. Authorities received a report of the crash shortly after 11am local time, according to a statement from the Manisa governor’s office. The injured individuals were transported to local hospitals, including the bus driver, who was detained by police after being discharged. Images from the scene depicted blue body bags along the roadside next to the overturned bus, which sustained significant damage to its rear section. The tow truck, which appeared to be carrying wooden planks, also overturned. Turkiye’s Interior Minister, Mustafa Ciftci, referred to the victims as citizens in a post on social media platform X, although authorities have not confirmed if any foreign nationals were among those affected. The governor of Manisa, Vahdettin Ozkan, visited the crash site as emergency teams worked to clear the wreckage. "Work at the scene is currently ongoing under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor’s Office," Ozkan stated. "We are experiencing, in a painful way, just how vital it is to strictly adhere to traffic rules."