Six people were killed and another six injured when a minibus crashed into a truck in the northern city of Düzce yesterday. Survivors were taken to hospital while security forces detained the truck driver. An investigation is underway into the cause of the crash.

The minibus was carrying a family, their relatives and friends when it crashed into the truck on Anadolu Highway. The victims were traveling from their hometown Gaziantep in southern Turkey to Istanbul, to visit the family of a deceased relative to give their condolences. Traffic accidents kill thousands of people in Turkey despite safety measures.

According to 2017 figures, more than 7,400 people were killed across the country in traffic accidents. Turkey has improved the dire conditions of its roads and replaced most with multiple-lane highways to curb the road factor in accidents. Yet, reckless drivers remain a culprit in fatal accidents according to statistics that show driver errors are the cause of the majority of accidents.