Some 20 people were killed and 11 others were heavily injured when a tour bus toppled in the Marmaris district of the southern province of Muğla on May 13.
The bus was heading to Marmaris from the Buca district of the western province of İzmir for a one-day trip when the driver, Armağan Satmış, lost control of the vehicle in the Sakageçidi region. The bus tumbled down a cliff and ambulances, fire department and teams from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) were dispatched to the scene.
The initial death toll was put at 17, but three of those wounded succumbed to their injuries on way to the hospitals.
Speaking about the accident, Muğla Governor Amir Çiçek said that those killed were mostly women and children, adding that the bus was carrying local tourists.
“There were no foreign tourists inside it. The reason for the accident is being examined. There may be a malfunction in the brakes, but the issue is being investigated,” Çiçek said.
Marmaris Mayor Ali Acar, meanwhile, said that “the situation is dire.”
“A high number of people were killed. I think that the accident was a result of driver failure,” Acar said.