Tragedy in Turkey: eight people died in a bus fire

In the western Turkish province of Denizli, eight people were killed, including a nine-month-old child, in an accident followed by a fire involving an intercity passenger bus. Another 33 passengers were injured with varying degrees of severity.

The tragedy occurred on Sunday, May 31, at 01:40 local time. The bus of Pamukkale Tourism was traveling on the Izmir — Antalya route. On the highway, the driver lost control, the vehicle crashed into a roadside barrier and instantly burst into flames. There were 41 people on board in total (38 passengers and 3 crew members). The victims included the 50-year-old bus driver, the infant and his father, who, according to local media, was trying to shield the child with his body at the moment of the crash.

The accident happened on the final day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. During this period, roads in Turkey are traditionally congested due to mass trips by citizens to visit relatives and go to resorts, which regularly leads to a sharp increase in the number of traffic accidents.