Fatalities in Aksaray Bus Accident: 9 Injured Under Treatment

A tragic development occurred in the fatal bus accident on the Ankara-Niğde highway in the Babakonağı locality. The passenger bus with the license plate 65 BJ 369, traveling from İstanbul to Irak, veered off the road and rolled into a ditch after the driver, Yahya Akar (45), lost control. In his statement regarding the moment of the accident, driver Akar stated that they set off from İstanbul and suddenly found themselves in a ditch. Immediately after the incident, police, gendarmerie, health, AFAD, and fire brigade teams were dispatched to the area. In the accident, 2 drivers, 1 assistant driver, and a total of 41 passengers, including children, sustained varying degrees of injuries.

44 people injured in the accident were taken to various hospitals in Aksaray by ambulances after initial interventions at the scene. It was reported that Hazim Ahmet Şahap, a father of 2 children, was transferred to a hospital in Konya after his condition worsened. It was learned that Şahap had set off to return to his home country, Irak, while he was with his family in İstanbul. It was noted that the photo Şahap, a taxi driver, took with his wife shortly before coming to İstanbul remained as a memory. It was announced that one more injured person, whose condition was determined to be critical, was also transferred to Konya.

Hazim Ahmet Şahap, who was receiving treatment at Aksaray Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, could not be saved despite all medical interventions and lost his life. Şahap's passing further increased the magnitude and sorrow of the accident. It was stated that the condition of a total of 9 injured individuals currently undergoing treatment at the hospital remains critical, and their treatments are ongoing. A large-scale search and rescue operation had been initiated in the region from the very first moment the accident occurred. It was announced that the remaining injured individuals were discharged from the hospital after their examinations and treatments were completed.

The investigation into the incident is continuing at full speed. Aksaray İl Jandarma Komutanlığı teams are conducting a detailed and extensive investigation into how the accident occurred and any potential negligence. It was learned that the bus driver Yahya Akar, whose statement was taken and who was injured in the accident, will be discharged after completing his hospital treatment. In a statement made by security forces, it was emphasized that Akar will be detained immediately after leaving the hospital, and judicial proceedings will be initiated against him. Authorities reported that the accident will be clarified through the examination of the technical accident report and camera recordings.

This tragic accident has once again highlighted the critical importance of traffic safety in passenger transportation to and from abroad. Factors such as driver fatigue, distraction, and road conditions on long-distance buses increase the risk of similar accidents. Authorities constantly warn drivers, especially those working on long routes, to comply with rest periods and obey speed limits. Condolences were extended to the family and relatives of Hazim Ahmet Şahap, who lost his life, while a swift recovery is wished for the injured who are still receiving treatment. It was reported that the other passengers involved in the accident are receiving psychological support and that necessary measures are being taken for them to return to their countries safely.