Chain-reaction traffic accident in Van: Nearly 50 vehicles involved! There are deaths and injuries...

A chain-reaction traffic accident occurred on the Van-Erciş highway this morning.

Due to foggy weather and slippery road conditions, a large number of vehicles collided with each other.

Ambulance, gendarmerie, police, and Tuşba Fire Department teams were dispatched to the scene.

The injured were taken to hospitals for treatment after receiving initial intervention at the scene.

SECOND CHAIN-REACTION ACCIDENT IN VAN

Two separate chain-reaction traffic accidents occurred within a 1-kilometer distance of each other. Following the first accident, another chain-reaction accident occurred on the same road.

It was reported that there were many injured in both accidents. Fire, police, and medical teams dispatched to the scene intervened quickly to assist the injured.

While the injured were being transported to hospitals in the region, the final toll of the accidents has not yet been announced.

ROAD CLOSED TO TRAFFIC

Following the accidents, the Van-Erciş highway was closed to traffic as a security measure. Authorities warned drivers to use alternative routes. Cleaning and inspection work is ongoing to reopen the road to traffic.

1 DEAD, 51 INJURED

Van Governor Ozan Balcı arrived at the scene along with Police Chief Murat Mutlu and Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Brigadier General Adem Şen to conduct inspections. Receiving information at the accident site, Governor Balcı made a statement. Stating that 1 person died and 51 people, 4 of them seriously, were injured in the chain-reaction accidents, Governor Balcı said:

"A chain-reaction traffic accident occurred on the Van-Erciş highway due to dense fog and black ice. Unfortunately, 1 of our citizens lost their life. Nearly 50 of our citizens were injured, 4 of them seriously. When the first report came in, our search and rescue teams, including other ambulances and medical personnel, AFAD teams, police traffic, gendarmerie, fire department, and other relevant agency personnel arrived here. We transported the injured to the hospital. I wish God's mercy upon our citizen who lost their life, condolences to their relatives, and I wish a speedy recovery to our injured citizens. Our teams are working intensively. They will remove the vehicles. We have closed the road to traffic in both directions. The road will be opened to traffic after the vehicles are removed quickly. There are a total of 51 injured, 4 of them serious. According to the information provided by our police, gendarmerie, and highway teams, the accident was a chain-reaction caused by black ice and fog."

News Source: İHA