Road accident in Turkey injures some 30 tourists; mostly from Poland

Several tourists from Norway, Poland and Russia were injured. (AP)
  • The accident occurred Tuesday near the popular holiday resort of Kemer, in Antalya province
  • The injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Kemer and in the nearby town of Kumluca

ANKARA, Turkey: Poland’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that 30 Poles were hurt when a tour bus carrying tourists from Poland, Russia and Norway veered off a road near Turkey’s Mediterranean coast and rolled 20 meters down a slope.

Ministry spokeswoman Ewa Suwara said that seven Poles remain hospitalized, three of whom are in a serious though not life-threatening condition. One of the injured underwent life-saving surgery, Suwara said.

It was unclear how many people were on the bus or how many Russians or Norwegians were injured in the accident.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the accident occurred on Tuesday near the popular holiday resort of Kemer, in Antalya province. The agency said at least 25 people were injured when the bus off a road and rolled over.

The injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Kemer and in the nearby town of Kumluca, Anadolu Agency said. The private DHA news agency said most of the injured were tourists from Poland.

DHA said the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, though the cause was not immediately known.

The report said other people traveling on the road rushed out of their cars to help the tourists until ambulances arrived at the scene.

Turkey’s Milliyet newspaper said Russian and Norwegian tourists were also on board, adding that a total of 25 were wounded, mostly by broken glass, and taken to hospitals. 

“Seven people are still in hospital. Amongst these seven, three are seriously injured,” Suwara said.