Ten people were killed and 40 injured in a pileup in Mersin, southern Türkiye involving four vehicles on the Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep (TAG) Motorway on Sunday, according to initial findings.
A passenger bus belonging to the company Star Diyarbakır based in southeastern Türkiye crossed into the opposite lane and hit two cars and one truck.
Upon the notification, a large number of 112 Emergency Health, police and fire brigade teams were dispatched to the area.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç posted about the accident on his social media account X, ''We are all deeply saddened by the chain traffic accident that occurred on the TAG Highway in Yenice Neighborhood of Mersin's Tarsus district.''
''A judicial investigation has been initiated by the Tarsus Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the accident and three public prosecutors have been assigned under the coordination of the Tarsus Chief Public Prosecutor.''
''I wish Allah mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the accident, patience to their families and a speedy recovery to our injured citizens.''
In a post on his social media account X, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: ''I pray for mercy from Allah Almighty to our citizens who lost their lives in the tragic traffic accident that occurred on the Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep Highway. Our relevant authorities have urgently initiated the necessary investigation into the accident. My condolences to the families of our deceased citizens and our nation.''
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz also expressed his condolences to the injured and the victims' families.
In a post on his social media account X, Yılmaz said: ''I wish God's mercy to our citizens who died in the tragic traffic accident on the TAG Highway in Mersin, patience to their families, and a speedy recovery to our wounded. We are sorry for our loss.''
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca also posted an update regarding the accident on his social media account X: “10 people lost their lives and 40 people were injured, 9 of them seriously, in a chain accident involving a passenger bus on Mersin-Adana Highway. The treatment of the injured is continuing in our hospitals, especially Mersin City Hospital, Mersin Tarsus State Hospital and Adana Çukurova State Hospital. I extend my condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also released a statement on the incident: "A passenger bus traveling from Diyarbakır to Istanbul collided with two passenger cars and one truck on the highway in Yenice neighborhood of Tarsus district of Mersin province.
''According to the first reports, unfortunately, 10 of our citizens lost their lives in the accident. I wish Allah mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the accident, patience to their families; I wish a speedy recovery to our wounded.''
Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan confirmed that the sad accident occurred in the city and said, ''I wish God's mercy to those who lost their lives and healing to the injured.''
