At least 13 Russian tourists died in a bus crash in the southwestern Turkish region of Antalya on Tuesday, a Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's spokeswoman said.
Yelena Chernova said that 26 people were injured.
The incident occurred at 5:30 a.m. local time [02:30 GMT]. The bus was en route from the resort of Alanya to the town of Pamukkale when it veered off the road and plunged 15 meters into the Aksu River. There were 39 people from 11 Russian cities on the bus, as well as two Turks, both of whom died.
"According to updated information at 6:30 p.m. Moscow time (14:30 GMT), 13 citizens of Russia died, 26 were hospitalized after the traffic accident in Antalya," Chernova said. "Four are in critical condition," she continued adding that there were also two Turkish citizens who were killed in the accident.
The Russian Health Ministry's press service, however, said six were in critical condition.
According to preliminary information, the accident occurred when the driver suffered a heart attack. Earlier Turkish police suggested that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel.
President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday ordered Russia's Emergencies Ministry to help the Russian tourists injured in the crash, and to repatriate the bodies of those killed.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said later on Tuesday it would send an Il-76 plane with 15 doctors from the Disaster Medicine Center and Emergency Situations Ministry to Turkey, as well as two psychologists, to help the survivors and to evacuate the injured tourists.
MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti)
