'Suicide bomber' warning for public transport

At 16:20 today in Kocaeli, a message reading "Evacuate passengers immediately, there is a suicide bomber threat" was sent to public and private transport vehicles operating throughout the city.

While this warning caused great panic in the city, a crisis desk was established by officials from the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, the Provincial Security Directorate, and the Kent Kart company.

Officials stated that the situation remains serious, noting that investigations are ongoing and that a detailed statement regarding the matter will be made in the coming hours.

"WE ARE AFRAID AS DRIVERS"

Private public bus driver Ufuk Akyar said, "We were sitting at the stop during our break. At that moment, a bomb threat message appeared on the colleagues' Kent Kart devices.

We were stunned and panicked, and we got into our vehicles to check our Kent Kart devices. Later, a message came through the mobile application stating that the system had been hacked.

As drivers, we are all in fear. We don't know whether to continue working or not. We don't want to victimize the citizens either.

We expect this incident to be resolved quickly. A message came afterward saying not to pay attention to the messages, but one naturally feels anxious. There is fear because we are carrying lives. We want this incident to be resolved as soon as possible."

News Source: İHA