One person was killed and 55 others were injured, four of them seriously, after several chain collisions occurred yesterday in eastern Turkey due to fog and ice accumulated on the road due to low temperatures, which during the night reach minus 5°C in the region.
Turkish media reported that the crash occurred on the highway between Van and Erciş at around 7:30 a.m. local time (9:30 CET), when a chain collision occurred near the town of Göllü involving a large number of vehicles, including a truck, two buses, a van and several passenger cars. Numerous emergency crews, including ambulances, fire brigade, police and members of the National Medical Rescue Unit (UMKE) and the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), were dispatched immediately to the scene.
While they were treating the injured in the accident, approximately 30 minutes later a second chain collision occurred approximately 2 km away on the same highway but in the opposite direction. In total, it is estimated that around 50 vehicles were involved in both crashes, in which one woman was killed and 4 others were seriously injured, while 51 others suffered minor injuries; all of whom were taken to various hospitals in Van.
Due to both chain collisions the motorway had to remain temporarily closed to traffic in both directions, with the governor of the province, Ozan Balcı, confirming that the accident had occurred due to the presence of ice on the road combined with thick fog at that time in the morning.
Another similar accident occurred at the same time about 300 km further north in the eastern province of Erzurum, where 13 vehicles were involved in a chain collision also caused by heavy fog and ice; in this case the collision took place in the district of Palandöken and involved four buses and nine cars, although fortunately there were no casualties.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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