Nine people have died and two people have been seriously injured after a van carrying illegal migrants crashed into an irrigation ditch in the Haran district of Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey. The incident occurred in the afternoon near Onjuler district in Haran.
There were 31 illegal migrants in the van, the Şanlıurfa regional governor’s office said.
A large number of paramedics and rescue teams were dispatched to the region after the incident was reported by witnesses.
6 migrants died instantly and five injured were taken to hospital for first aid, the announcement reads.
Three of the injured immigrants died despite the interventions of the doctors. Thus, the total number of immigrants who lost their lives in the accident reached nine people.
The two hospitalized wounded are in stable but still serious conditions. The incident is being investigated, reported the Anatolia Agency (AA). There is no information on the identity and nationality of the refugees who were transported and who died.
One person, believed to be a migrant smuggler, was arrested by security forces.
Located near the border with Syria, the city of Şanlıurfa is a major transit route for illegal migrants. Similar smuggling incidents have claimed dozens of lives in the past.
