Anadolu news agency reported that the truck had crossed into opposite lanes after the driver lost control late Saturday and collided with nine cars and two minibuses.
Many of the vehicles were parked by the roadside near a gas station as friends and relatives said goodbye to men leaving to carry out mandatory military service.
The Demiroren news agency said the truck was carrying rubble excavated from the earthquakes which killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey in February. Hatay was one of the worst hit regions.
Turkish police officers and emergency personnel work next to burned vehicles after a crash on the Iskenderun-Antakya highway, south Turkey, late Saturday, May 6, 2023
Turkish police officers and emergency personnel work next to burned vehicles after a crash on the Iskenderun-Antakya highway, south Turkey, late Saturday, May 6, 2023
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The minister tweeted that 22 ambulances and three medical rescue teams were sent to the scene.The injured were taken to hospitals in the area. Three were said to be in critical condition.
'May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives, I express my condolences to their relatives,' he tweeted.
'We will do our best to ensure that the injured regain their health as soon as possible.
Witness Ali Sarrac said that some of those killed had burned to death, Anadolu reported.
Images showed burning vehicles as emergency teams tried to keep people away from the blaze.Firefighters were pictured extinguishing the truck and a minibus that caught fire after the collision. The identity of the driver has not yet been published.