A passenger bus carrying holiday travelers crashed into highway barriers and burst into flames in western Türkiye early Sunday, killing eight people, including 9-month-old baby boy, authorities and local media said.
The bus, owned by Pamukkale Tourism, crashed into highway barriers in Denizli province at 1:40 a.m. local time while carrying 38 passengers and three staff from Izmir to the Mediterranean city of Antalya, media reports said.
The impact sparked a fire that quickly engulfed the vehicle. Emergency teams including paramedics, firefighters, police, disaster response units and gendarmerie were dispatched to the scene.
Eight people died at the scene, including the 50-year-old driver and a 9-month-old baby boy identified as Eyüp Miraç Şen, along with seven other passengers. Authorities said 33 people were injured, some of them seriously.
Footage from the aftermath showed the charred remains of the bus along the highway as rescue crews worked at the site. The road was closed for about four hours in the direction of Denizli before reopening after the wreckage was cleared.
Officials said 38 passengers and three crew members were on board the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Seventeen of the injured were treated and discharged from hospitals, while 16 others remained under medical care. Three were reported to be in critical condition.
The bodies of the victims were taken to the Denizli branch of the Forensic Medicine Institute for autopsies and identification procedures, including DNA testing, authorities said. Relatives gathered outside the morgue awaiting confirmation and release of remains.
The crash occurred on the final day of Eid al-Adha, a major Islamic holiday often marked by heavy travel across Türkiye as families visit relatives and take vacations. Traffic accidents frequently rise during holiday periods, when road congestion and long-distance travel increase across the country.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev sent a condolence message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following the crash, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. He extended condolences to the families of the victims and said he shared in Türkiye’s grief over the tragedy.
