At least 23 people died and 11 more were critically wounded after a tour bus plunged off a cliff in the town of Marmaris, located in Turkey's southwestern province of Mugla, on Saturday.
"Sadly, we have had 20 fatalities and 11 other seriously injured," Amir Cicek, the governor of Mugla province, told AFP, calling it a "horrible accident."
Report said the bus was carrying local tourists and was travelling from the city of Izmir to Marmaris for a mother's day event. The accident took place after the driver lost control of the bus and ploughed through a crash barrier, falling 15 metres (50 feet) on to a lower road, smashing a car with its three occupants.
"If we count these three deaths, the number of the dead rises to 23," the state-run Anadolu news agency quoted the governor as saying.
The victims are believed to be mainly women and children. Local media said no foreign tourists were among the passengers. The rescue teams and personnel from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) were rushed to the site of the accident.The road on the side off a cliff was closed for traffic causing huge congestion.
Amir Cicek also added that the brakes of the bus "may have malfunctioned" and that an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Reuters quoted Marmaris Mayor Ali Acar as saying that the bus could have met with the accident due to an "error by the driver". However, Acar did not give further details on the matter.
