Bus accident in Kars leaves 7 dead, 22 injured

A tragic accident has unfolded in the northeastern province of Kars' Sarıkamış district when a passenger bus overturned into a stockade on July 30, leaving seven people dead and 22 others injured, as per preliminary reports.

The ill-fated bus was traveling from the northwestern province of Bursa to Kars when the incident occurred after it had passed the viaduct at the entrance of Karakurt village on a nearby highway. The precise cause of the accident is yet to be determined, prompting the authorities to launch a criminal investigation into the matter.

In response to the distress call, health, fire, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and gendarmerie teams swiftly arrived at the accident site.

The passenger bus fell from a height of approximately 50 meters, coming to rest upside down inside the stockade. Tragically, seven lost their lives in the aftermath of the crash, while 22 others sustained injuries of varying degrees.

The injured were then transported to nearby hospitals in Erzurum and Kars by ambulances. One individual, whose condition was assessed as critical, received further medical attention via an ambulance helicopter that landed on the highway to facilitate a rapid transfer to Erzurum.

The viaduct, which had been completed and opened to traffic last November, spans 574 meters in length and soars to a height of 120 meters.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç took to his social media account to share his condolences. "I wish God's mercy on our citizens who lost their lives in the tragic traffic accident in Kars, and patience for their families and relatives. I also wish a speedy recovery to our injured citizens," he tweeted.