Minibus carrying agricultural workers rolls over, claiming 1 life, injuring 15 others

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

With agricultural workers on board, the minibus driven by M.E. had an accident in the Sarıerik Neighborhood in Pazarcık district in Turkey's southern province of Maraş yesterday (September 19).

While the ones stranded in the vehicle were taken out by fire brigade teams, the paramedics detected that S.A. (18) died at the scene.

The injured driver and 14 passengers were taken to the hospitals in the city and received treatment. The dead body of S.A. was taken to the Sütçü İmam University Training, Health and Research Hospital's morgue.

12 accidents in the first 7 months of 2021

In a statement in late July 2021, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer shared some data about the road accidents involving agricultural workers in Turkey.

Referring to the reports of the Health and Safety Labor Watch and the news reported in the press, CHP Niğde MP Gürer indicated that in the first seven months of 2021, 12 accidents were reported in the local and national press; while seven seasonal agricultural workers lost their lives in these accidents in agriculture and forestry, 120 people were wounded.

In July, five separate accidents happened; while one seasonal agricultural worker died, 59 workers were wounded.

These accidents were as follows:

February 18, 2021 - On their way back from Mersin to Van, seasonal agricultural workers had a road accident; three people on the bus died.

February 18, 2021 - A bus carrying seasonal agricultural workers from Mersin to their home city Van rolled over, wounding 12 people.

April 22, 2021 - A minibus with agricultural workers on board rolled over in Konya province, claiming the lives of two people and wounding six others.

May 5, 2021 - A minibus carrying agricultural workers in Osmaniye province had an accident, leaving 16 people injured.

May 19, 2021 - A minibus with seasonal agricultural workers on board had an accident in Sivas. Five people were wounded, two seriously.

May 24, 2021 - In the district of Çay in Afyonkarahisar, a light commercial vehicle with seasonal agricultural workers on board rolled over. While seven people lost their lives, five people were injured.

June 29, 2021 - Three vehicles were involved in a road accident in Ödemiş, İzmir; the driver of the tractor lost his/her life at the hospital where s/he was taken while 17 seasonal agricultural workers were injured.

July 6, 2021 - A small lorry carrying seasonal agricultural workers in Mersin hit an electric pole and rolled over, leaving 11 people wounded.

July 10, 2021 - A small lorry with seasonal agricultural workers on board rolled over in Malatya's Darende and wounded seven people.

July 12, 2021 - In the district of Yerköy in Yozgat, a minibus carrying seasonal agricultural workers rolled over, leaving 10 workers injured.

July 15, 2021 - A minibus carrying seasonal agricultural workers and a small lorry crashed in Afyonkarahisar; 17 people were injured.

July 22, 2021 - In the district of Ereğli in Konya province, a minibus carrying agricultural workers rolled over and fell on the ditch. While one person died in the accident, 14 people were wounded.

(RT/SD)