At least 32 people were killed and 50 injured in two traffic crashes in southeastern Turkey on Saturday.

In the first accident involving an ambulance and a bus on the highway connecting Gaziantep to Nizip (southeast), 16 people died and 21 were injured.

According to the news of the Turkish news agency DHA, an ambulance, fire truck and a vehicle belonging to a team of journalists were hit head-on by a bus traveling on the same road.

According to local media, the 16 people killed include four first responders, three firefighters and two journalists from the Turkish news agency Adalar.

In the footage released by the DHA agency, it was seen that the bus involved in the accident was lying on its side with the front torn apart, as well as a partially destroyed ambulance.

According to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, a few hours later, 16 more people were killed and about 30 injured in an accident involving a heavy vehicle 250 km to the east.

In a statement on Twitter, Minister Fahrettin Koca in Mardin said, “16 people lost their lives and 29 people were injured, 8 of them seriously.”

Videos released by Turkish media show a driver losing control of his truck, crashing into multiple fast vehicles and pedestrians trying to escape.

According to Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency, a traffic accident involving three vehicles occurred at the same location recently, and rescue teams arrived at the scene when the truck passed over the crowd.

(*With information from AFP)