At least 20 killed in Turkey bus crash

Medics and rescue workers stand at the scene after a tourist bus crashed near the southwestern holiday town of Marmaris, Turkey, on Saturday. (REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz)

ISTANBUL: At least 20 people died and 11 were injured Saturday when a bus carrying Turkish tourists plunged off a road near the southwestern sea resort of Marmaris.
“Sadly, we have had 20 fatalities and 11 other seriously injured,” said Amir Cicek, the governor of Mugla province, who said the bus was carrying about 40 people, many of whom were women.
The accident occurred in a hilly road and the bus plunged into a precipice after smashing through the crash barrier.
Television reports showed that the bus landed on a lower section of the road, and Cicek told NTV television that an investigation was underway.
“The bus’s brakes may have malfunctioned,” he said.
The Hurriyet newspaper quoted Marmaris mayor Ali Acar as indicating an “error by the driver,” without giving further details.
Other media outlets reported that the bus left from the western city of Izmir carrying only women and children who were on a trip for Mothers’ Day, celebrated in Turkey on Sunday.
Marmaris is one of the country’s main resorts on the Mediterranean, and a popular weekend destination for many Turks as temperatures climb.