Dozens Injured In Tunnel Pileup In Northwest Turkey

Sumaira FH Published March 20, 2022 | 03:40 PM

ANKARA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Mar, 2022 ) --:At least 30 people were injured on Saturday in a pileup inside the Mount Bolu Tunnel on the Ankara-Istanbul motorway in northwestern Turkey, a local governor said.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 17 people were taken to hospitals, including three badly injured.

Security camera footage inside the tunnel shows a car sliding and hitting the tunnel wall before several other vehicles hit each other, Governor of Bolu Province Ahmet Umit told reporters.

Ambulances, firefighters, police officers, and teams from the country's disaster agency have been dispatched to the scene.

Traffic was temporarily diverted to the D-100 motorway for about two hours after the accident, according to the official.

The accident involved 18 vehicles, including minibuses, cars, trucks, semi-trailers, and intercity coach buses, and it had been taking time to pull the trucks during the rescue operations, the governor said.

The Mount Bolu area is notorious for heavy snowfall, accidents, and sharp bends.