The severity of the accident became apparent when the bus was pulled out from under the bridge.

In a traffic accident that occurred near Polatlı district of Ankara, 9 people lost their lives while 26 people were injured when a passenger bus got stuck to the foot of a bridge. The severity of the catastrophic accident was revealed when the bus was lifted from its place with the help of a crane, and the drone-recorded footage showed that a large part of the bus was completely destroyed.

INVESTIGATION INITIATED

The accident occurred around 05:00 when the bus heading towards Eskişehir got stuck to the foot of the bridge. Many fire brigade, search and rescue, and health teams were dispatched to the scene. The route where the accident occurred was closed to traffic, and an investigation was initiated regarding the incident.

ŞAHİN: POSSIBILITY OF THE DRIVER FALLING ASLEEP IS BEING EVALUATED

Ankara Governor Vasip Şahin stated in a live broadcast, "There is no brake mark, our technical colleagues commented that it could be due to falling asleep. The exact cause will be determined in the coming hours. It is known that the bus driver is among the deceased passengers," he said.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH: 9 DEAD, 26 INJURED

In a statement made by the Ministry of Health regarding the accident that plunged Turkey into mourning, it was stated that "9 of our citizens lost their lives and 26 of our citizens were injured in the bus accident that occurred in Ankara Polatlı. The treatment of the injured continues in hospitals. We extend our condolences to the families of the deceased citizens and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the statement said.

"THE BUS WAS A BIT FAST, IT STARTED TO SWERVE"

Murat Türkoğlu, the driver of the car that was following the bus during the accident, stated that they were going to Polatlı and said, "We left together from Temelli, we were driving side by side anyway. The bus was a bit fast, it started to swerve about 3-4 kilometers before here, then it hit the bridge. The pieces flying off the bus hit our car. We honked the horn and flashed the lights from behind, but he didn't hear," he said.

THE BUS WAS LIFTED AFTER 9 HOURS OF WORK

The wreckage of the bus, which was reported to have 39 people on board, was lifted with the help of a crane after 9 hours of work by the teams. The severity of the accident that shook Turkey was revealed when the passenger bus, which became a grave for 9 people, was pulled out from where it got stuck. In the video recorded with a drone, it can be seen that a large part of the bus, which was stuck to the foot of the bridge like an arrow, was completely destroyed.