01.06.2026 11:51
In the horrific accident on the Denizli-Aydın Highway in Sarayköy district, where a passenger bus crashed into barriers and caught fire, killing 8 people, the stories of the deceased tear hearts apart, while painful details emerged that holiday visits, cemetery visits, and exam excitement journeys were cut short by death. It was learned that Civan Şen, who lost his life in the accident, saved his wife but then died in the flames with his 9-month-old son.
Following the identification efforts of those who lost their lives in the accident where a Pamukkale Tourism passenger bus on the Izmir-Antalya route was reduced to ashes, the heart-wrenching stories left behind by the deceased have become clear. It was learned that the bus driver who died in the accident, Mustafa Fevzi Merdun, was married and a father of three children, having earned his living on the roads for many years.
HE SAVED HIS WIFE, BUT COULDN'T ESCAPE THE FLAMES WITH HIS SON DUE TO THE STAMPEDE The most dramatic story of the accident occurred in the Sen family. Civan Şen, his wife Sevda Şen, and their 9-month-old son Eyüp Miraç Şen had gone to Izmir to visit Sevda Şen's family during the Eid al-Adha holiday. On their way back to Antalya, where they lived, the family was caught in the tragic accident. When a fire broke out on the bus, father Civan Şen showed great heroism by first breaking the bus window. The devoted father managed to get his wife Sevda Şen out through the window. As he was preparing to get out with his 9-month-old son in his arms, a stampede caused by other passengers rushing to the broken window prevented him from escaping, and he perished in the flames along with his child.
CİVAN ŞEN WITH EYÜP MİRAÇ ŞEN IN HIS ARMS AND HIS WIFE SEVDA ŞEN THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO VISIT THE GRAVE OF A SISTER WHO DIED YEARS AGO It was also determined that Gule Tayboğa, who lives in Izmir, and her daughter Fatma Kartal were on the road due to another sorrow. It was learned that the mother and daughter boarded this bus to visit the grave of another sister, who died years ago and is buried in Alanya, Antalya. However, they lost their lives side by side before reaching the grave.
MERVE AND SAMİ ERİK COUPLE DEATH SEPARATED AN ELDERLY COUPLE AND A NEWLYWED COUPLE Death also separated the elderly couple Halime and Mehmet Arıkan, who had gone from Alanya to visit relatives in Izmir for the Eid al-Adha holiday, on their return journey. In the accident, husband Mehmet Arıkan managed to survive with injuries, while his wife Halime Arıkan lost her life. It was also learned that the newlywed young couple Sami and Merve Erik, who got married on April 16, were returning to Antalya after the holiday in Izmir. In the disaster that occurred on their way back, Sami Erik was taken to the hospital with injuries, while Merve Erik lost her life.
HAYRİYE ARIKAN SHE WAS GOING TO HER EXAMS AND GRADUATION CEREMONY It was learned that Zehra Eyiol, one of the young people who died in the accident, was a second-year student in the Tourism and Hotel Management Program at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ) ALTSO Vocational School of Tourism. Zehra Eyiol had come to Izmir to be with her family for the holiday, and she was on the bus to attend her final exams in Alanya after the holiday and to make it to the graduation ceremony scheduled for June 18. The young girl lost her life without ever wearing her graduation gown. The tragic news plunged both the school and her family into mourning.
ZEHRA EYİOL CLAIM THAT THE DRIVER SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK Meanwhile, family members of the bus driver claimed that the autopsy results revealed driver Mustafa Fevzi Merdun had suffered a heart attack. Additionally, it was learned that about 20 minutes before the accident, driver Merdun had pulled the vehicle over due to a malfunction, checked it, and then continued his journey.
The investigation into the accident continues.