ANKARA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A minibus carrying seasonal agricultural workers veered off the road and plunged into a ravine early Tuesday in the central Turkish province of Sivas, leaving four people dead and 18 others injured, including four in critical condition.
According to local broadcaster NTV, the accident occurred around 5:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) near Sarkoy village in the Geminbeli Pass of Susehri district.
The vehicle was reportedly transporting agricultural laborers from Sanliurfa province to Ordu province, where they were heading for the annual hazelnut harvest, when the driver reportedly lost control of the minibus on a mountain road.
Emergency medical teams, firefighters, disaster response units, and gendarmerie forces were immediately dispatched to the scene following the accident alert.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
Traffic accidents have claimed 2,713 lives across Türkiye in 2024, according to the General Directorate of Security. The highest number of accidents occurred in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, with Istanbul alone recording 97,354 incidents.
Speeding was the leading cause of fatal crashes in Türkiye last year.
