At least 12 people were killed and 20 others were injured after a minibus carrying illegal migrants crashed in eastern Turkey’s Van province on Sunday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
According to the authorities, the crash occurred in Van’s Muradiye district, where the vehicle caught fire after tumbling into a ditch.
Medical teams, firefighters, security forces as well as emergency personnel from Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) were dispatched to the scene.
Turkey has been a key transit point for illegal migrants aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution. However, journeys often turn lethal, be it a short journey to Greece by sea aboard unsafe boats or in overcrowded minibuses and trucks.
Migrants – mostly from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan – regularly cross the Iranian border into Turkey on foot before being ferried west to cities such as Istanbul and Ankara.