UPDATE - Traffic accident kills 15, injures 31 in southeastern Türkiye

REVISES DEATH TOLL, UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS AND CONDOLENCES, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Adsiz Gunebakan

GAZIANTEP, Türkiye (AA) - A traffic accident killed at least 15 people and injured 31 others in Türkiye's southeastern Gaziantep province on Saturday, its governorship said in a statement.

A passenger bus collided with a fire brigade, an ambulance, and an outside broadcast vehicle on the Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep Highway, leading to the casualties.

The emergency service vehicles were responding to an earlier accident at the site when the bus plowed into the crowd.

The victims include three firefighters, three paramedics, and two journalists belonging to Ihlas News Agency.

While the condition of six of those injured remains critical, 12 have been discharged.
Gaziantep Governor Davut Gul later visited the injured and conveyed his wishes to their families.

A number of Turkish officials including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Health Minister Fahrettin Koca expressed condolences over the deaths and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

The foreign ministries of Pakistan and Serbia also condoled with Türkiye in separate statements.