10.05.2026 10:04
The fire that broke out in the engine compartment of a tour bus organizing a trip from Izmir to Istanbul was prevented from turning into a major disaster thanks to the timely intervention of the driver and other passengers. While the bus was completely burned after the incident, the passengers continued their journey with other vehicles.
A tour bus carrying a travel group from Izmir to Istanbul was engulfed in flames while cruising in the Tuzla area. The driver, alerted by other drivers, stopped the vehicle and evacuated the passengers, preventing a potential disaster.
PASSENGERS EVACUATED QUICKLY
The incident occurred around 06:00 on the TEM Highway at the Orhanlı junction in the direction of Istanbul. According to information obtained, a fire broke out for an undetermined reason in the engine compartment of the tour bus with license plate 35 CBY 931, driven by Faruk Şahin, which had set out from Izmir to Istanbul for a trip. Noticing the situation when other drivers flashed their headlights to warn him, Şahin quickly pulled the vehicle into the emergency lane and evacuated the passengers.
BUS COMPLETELY BURNED
As the flames rapidly grew and engulfed the entire bus, numerous fire brigade and police teams were dispatched to the scene upon notification. The fire was extinguished by the teams' intervention, but the bus with license plate 35 CBY 931 was completely burned, turning into a heap of metal. The passengers continued their journey with other vehicles sent to the area.
"WE ESCAPED WITHOUT A SCRATCH"
Speaking about the incident, where they narrowly avoided a catastrophe, bus driver Faruk Şahin said, "I was driving on the road, and cars behind me started flashing their headlights. I immediately pulled the vehicle to the right. We got out of the vehicle and saw it had caught fire. We quickly evacuated the passengers. The flames engulfed the bus instantly. We were coming from Izmir on a tour to Istanbul. There were 43 passengers, 45 people in total. No one was hurt. We intervened just in time; thank God, we escaped without a scratch."
Police and fire brigade teams have launched a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire.