24 killed, dozens injured in Turkey train derailment

Istanbul : Twenty-four people were killed and dozens injured yesterday when a train packed with weekend passengers derailed in northwest Turkey, the health ministry said.

The train, with over 360 people on board, was travelling from the Edirne region on the Greek and Bulgarian borders to Istanbul’s Halkali station when six of its carriages derailed in the Tekirdag region. Over 100 ambulances have been sent to the scene, staterun TRT Haber television said TRT Haber said, quoting Health Ministry Undersecretary Eyup Gumus.

The Turkish army said in a statement that it had sent helicopters to the scene. Television pictures showed several train carriages laying on their sides, and shocked injured being taken away on stretchers as rescue workers picked through the wreckage.

“There are a large number of injured and we have fatalities,” Tekirdag governor Mehmet Ceylan told the NTV channel. “The accident happened because of adverse weather conditions,” Tekirdag governor added.