Turkey: 9 Dead, Over 1,000 Injured in Traffic Accidents on First Day of Ramadan Holidays

Ankara: Nine people have died and 1,047 injured in 651 traffic accidents on the first of the prolonged nine days of Ramadan holidays in Turkey, Daily Sabah reported, citing a social media post made by the nation's interior minister Ali Yerlikaya. While emphasising that security and traffic teams had been mobilised to deal with the Eid Al-Fitr traffic rush, the minister noted that the first day of Ramadan had still seen 651 traffic accidents and the inspection of 411,588 vehicles across the nation. 

Expressing condolences to the families of the nine people who lost their lives and wishing a speedy recovery for the 1,047 people who were injured during the holiday rush, Yerlikaya urged drivers and commuters to exercise more caution during this time. Furthermore, the minister called on travellers to wear seat belts and avoid speeding, noting that journeys “are meant to reunite you with loved ones, not to separate you.”