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58th anniversary of unusual traffic accident that claimed 26 lives

58 years ago, in Hendek district of Sakarya, one of the most peculiar accidents in history occurred when a passenger bus collided with a nitric acid-laden truck. In the incident, some of the victims faced tragedy as they entered water mixed with acid, resulting in the loss of 26 lives.

Agencies and A News LIFE
Published August 10,2023
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One of the most intriguing traffic accidents in the world occurred in Sakarya's Hendek district.

According to compiled information, on August 11, 1965, at around 03:00, a passenger bus belonging to Civan Turizm, operated by Özdemir Süer and traveling from Istanbul to Ankara on the D-100 highway, rear-ended a truck carrying corrosive chemicals driven by Mustafa Filik, at the Hendek Akova location.

Due to the impact of the collision, the acids in the truck spilled and mixed with the water pooling at the side of the road.

One of history's oddest accidents: Mistaking it for a bus fire, they entered the acid-laden water As the acid mixed with the water, intense fumes formed, leading passengers on the bus to believe there was a fire and causing them to enter the water containing nitric acid.

In the incident, 19 people lost their lives at the scene, while the truck driver and 6 passengers succumbed to their injuries at Adapazarı State Hospital, where they were taken.

The bus driver and 17 individuals, including foreign nationals, were injured in the accident.

Some of the victims who lost their lives in the incident were collectively laid to rest in a specially designated area at the accident site.