Chain collision on North Marmara Highway: 11 dead, 59 injured

In a chain collision involving 7 vehicles on the North Marmara Highway, 11 people lost their lives, and 59 were injured, with 8 in critical condition. Minister Tunç stated that the accident was caused by excessive fog.

In the Sakarya section of the North Marmara Highway, a chain collision involving 7 vehicles, including 3 buses and a truck, occurred, resulting in 10 fatalities and 59 injuries. The cause of the chain collision is yet to be determined.

Upon reporting the situation, gendarmerie, health, fire brigade, Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), and highway teams were dispatched to the scene. Traffic in the direction of Istanbul on the highway was halted due to the accident. Teams initiated efforts to remove vehicles from the road in the area affected by dense fog.

While work continues to reopen the road, traffic is being redirected to the Anatolian Highway. Meanwhile, traffic in the Ankara direction of the North Marmara Highway is proceeding as usual. Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor Osman Köse also conducted an investigation upon arriving in the region.

HEALTH MINISTER: 8 OF THE INJURED ARE IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Furthermore, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, in a social media post, reported that 10 people lost their lives at the scene of the accident, with 8 in critical condition and 59 injured. Emphasizing that the investigation by the on-site examination teams regarding the formation of the accident is ongoing, Karadeniz stated, “It is estimated to have started with a car colliding with a truck. Then, it is presumed that other vehicles collided. According to initial findings, some of the deceased may have been hit by another vehicle coming from behind while pedestrians who got out of the cars. These are initial assessments at the moment, and what will be crucial is the findings that the on-site examination teams and our public prosecutors will make here.”