Death toll in Turkey bus crash rises to 17 - UPDATE

The incident occurred at 5:30 a.m. local time [02:30 GMT]. The bus was en route from the resort of Alanya to the town of Pamukkale when it veered off the road into the Aksu River 15 meters below. There were 39 residents of 11 Russian cities on the bus, as well as two Turkish citizens, both of whom died.

"Such tragedies show the necessity for taking up the joint traffic safety measures," Russia's Interior Ministry traffic department quoted Viktor Kiryanov as saying.

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12:06

At least 16 Russian tourists were killed in the southwestern Turkish region of Antalya after a bus of mostly Russian tourists fell into a river, the Russian consul in Antalya said on Tuesday, RIA Novosti reported.

Local media reported that the incident occurred at 5 a.m. local time [02:00 GMT]. The bus was en route from the resort of Alanya to the town of Pamukkale when it veered off the road into the Aksu River 15 meters below.

The Russian consul in Antalya said 25 Russians were also injured in the crash. Emergency services were working at the scene of the accident, taking the injured from the bus and providing them with medical aid.

According to the Turkish NTV channel, the death toll may increase as the bus took the roadside barrier with it to the bottom of the ravine, where it had "turned into a pile of metal."

According to the latest information, a six-kilometer traffic jam has developed at the scene of the accident. Preliminary investigations suggest the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

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11:20

A coach carrying Russian tourists crashed near Turkey's southern resort of Antalya on Tuesday, killing 11 people and injuring about 25, broadcasters reported.

Television pictures showed the coach had left the road and fallen into a ditch, where it was lying on its roof. The dead included the Turkish driver and a tour guide.


/World Bulletin, Trend/