At least 17 people have been killed and another 36 wounded after a bus carrying illegal immigrants hit a lighting pole in eastern Turkey and burst into flames, local media reported on Friday.

 The bus, which crashed late Thursday on the Igdir-Kars highway, was carrying nationals from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Images in Turkish media showed smoke rising from the charred bus with its front smashed and migrants lying on the road with bloodied faces. “When we arrived at the scene we found a… migrant tragedy,” Igdir province governor Enver Unlu told reporters at the scene. “We are deeply saddened that the frequent smuggling of migrants, which goes on in our province, has ended in a traffic accident.”—Agencies </s> ANKARA: At least 17 people have been killed and another 36 wounded after a bus carrying illegal immigrants hit a lighting pole in eastern Turkey and burst into flames, local media reported on Friday.

The bus, which crashed late Thursday on the Igdir-Kars highway, was carrying illegal immigrants from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, the bus contained 50 people while the original capacity of the bus was 14.

Fire brigade and emergency management teams rushed to the site, taking the injured to Igdir State Hospital.

Meanwhile, another bus with 13 immigrants which was moving along the same way was held. </s> At least 17 people have been killed and another 36 wounded after a bus carrying illegal immigrants hit a lighting pole in eastern Turkey and burst into flames, local media reported on Friday.

The bus, which crashed late Thursday on the Igdir-Kars highway, was carrying nationals from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Images in Turkish media showed smoke rising from the charred bus with its front smashed and migrants lying on the road with bloodied faces.

“When we arrived at the scene we found a… migrant tragedy,” Igdir province governor Enver Unlu told reporters at the scene.

“We are deeply saddened that the frequent smuggling of migrants, which goes on in our province, has ended in a traffic accident.”

Health officials said some of the injured were in a serious condition.

The bus had capacity for 14 people but over 50 people including women were on board, according to Anadolu.

The Igdir public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident while officials sought to identify the driver.

Thirteen illegal migrants were detained by security forces inside another bus, which Anadolu said had been on the same journey as the one involved in the crash.

Road accidents are common in Turkey. Turkish state broadcaster TRT said last month that 3,530 people were killed on the roads in 2017. </s> ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A minibus packed with migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran crashed and burst into flames in eastern Turkey, killing 17 people, state-run Anadolu news agency said on Friday (March 30).

The bus, designed to carry 14 people, was carrying more than 50 foreign nationals when it hit a lamp post and caught fire after the driver lost control in the eastern province of Igdir, Anadolu said.

A second truck, also carrying migrants, was following close behind and hit some of those that fell out of the first bus, Anadolu said.

Authorities detained the 13 people in the second truck along with its driver, it said.

"It saddened us that migrant smuggling, which occurs frequently in our province, ended with a traffic accident,"Igdir governor Enver Unlu was quoted by Anadolu as saying.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria and other countries have crossed to Greece and further into Europe via Turkey in recent years. Hundreds have died in the attempt. </s> At least 17 people died and 36 others were wounded when a minibus hit a light pole in eastern Turkey and caught fire, local media reported Friday.

The driver was among those killed, Turkish authorities said, and the injured, some in serious condition, were taken to Igdir State Hospital.

Igdir Governor Enver Unlu said that some of the victims died in the crash while others were killed when they were hit by another minivan that was also carrying migrants.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said the vehicle that crashed late Thursday on the Igdir-Kars highway, was carrying nationals from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, who entered Turkey illegally from the Iranian border.

The minibus with a capacity for 14 people, was carrying more than 50, including women, according to the agency.

The Igdir public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident while officials sought to identify the driver.

Thirteen illegal migrants inside the other minibus were detained by security forces.

Road accidents are common in Turkey. A Turkish state broadcaster reported last month that 3,530 people were killed on the roads in 2017. </s> At least 17 people were killed and another 36 wounded after a bus carrying undocumented immigrants hit a light pole in eastern Turkey and burst into flames, local media reported on Friday.

The bus, which crashed late Thursday on the Igdir-Kars highway, was carrying immigrants from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

A Turkish official told the agency that the vehicle had a capacity for 14 passengers but was carrying 50 people.

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17 dead as bus with migrants crashes in Turkeyhttps://t.co/IqNSKXjWtY — soL internationaL (@soLIntern) March 30, 2018

A second passenger minibus is said to have hit some of the people thrown from the first vehicle.

The wounded were taken to hospital, some of them in serious condition.

Law enforcement authorities opened an investigation into the incident. </s> ANKARA, Turkey — A senior official says 17 people, mostly migrants, were killed in a road accident in the eastern Turkish province of Igdir.

Another 36 were injured in the accident late Thursday.

Igdir Governor Enver Unlu said Friday that a minivan packed with migrants hit a light pole and caught fire. Some of the victims died in the crash while others were killed when they were hurled into oncoming traffic and hit by another minivan that was also carrying migrants.

The state-run Anadolu agency said the migrants were from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran and that their vehicles had crossed into Turkey illegally from Iran.

Unlu said on arrival at the scene “we were faced with a painful migrant tragedy.” </s> ANKARA, Turkey—A road accident in eastern Turkey has killed 17 people, mostly migrants, who had crossed into the country illegally, a senior official said.

The Governor of Igdir province, Enver Unlu, said 36 people were also injured in the accident late on Thursday on a highway linking his province with neighbouring Kars province.

Unlu said a minivan packed with migrants hit a light pole and caught fire. Some of the victims died in the crash while others were killed when they were hurled into oncoming traffic and hit by another minivan that was also carrying migrants.

The state-run Anadolu agency said the migrants were from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran and that their vehicles had crossed into Turkey illegally from Iran.

The cause of the accident was under investigation. </s> ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A road accident in eastern Turkey has killed 17 people, mostly migrants, who had crossed into the country illegally, a senior official said.

Governor of Igdir province, Enver Unlu, said 36 people were also injured in the accident late on Thursday on a highway linking his province with neighboring Kars province.

Unlu said a minivan packed with migrants hit a light pole and caught fire. Some of the victims died in the crash while others were killed when they were hurled onto oncoming traffic and hit by another minivan that was also carrying migrants.

The state-run Anadolu agency said the migrants were from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran and that their vehicles had crossed into Turkey illegally from Iran.

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

At least seven of the injured passengers were undergoing surgery at a hospital in Igdir, Anadolu reported. Some other passengers who were in serious condition were transferred to hospitals in the cities of Erzurum, Kars and Van.

Anadolu quoted Igdir's deputy chief health official, Taner Basaran, as saying as many as 50 migrants were "packed like sardines" into the minivans.

Unlu, the governor, said on arrival at the scene "we were faced with a painful migrant tragedy."
An overloaded bus carrying migrants from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan crashes into a light pole on the Igdir-Kars highway in Turkey and catches fire. A second bus hits some of the ejected passengers, killing at least 17 people and wounding 36 others.