Nine people were killed and one person was injured after a minibus thought to be carrying irregular migrants crashed into an irrigation canal in the Harran district of Şanlıurfa in Türkiye's southeast on Friday.

The incident occurred in the afternoon near the Öncüler district of Harran.

There were 31 irregular migrants on the minibus, according to a statement by the Şanlıurfa Governor's Office.

Some of the irregular migrants on the minibus were rescued, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, without specifying the number. An injured person was taken to the hospital for treatment, the report said.

A large number of paramedics and rescue teams were dispatched to the region after being notified by witnesses.

One person, thought to be a migrant smuggler, has been detained by security forces and the governor's office is carefully following developments regarding the incident, the governor's statement said.

Located near the border with Syria, Şanlıurfa is one of the major transit routes for irregular migrants. Similar smuggling accidents in the past had claimed several lives.