Earlier in the day, Turkish media reported that a truck crashed into several vehicles waiting in line at a gas station outside the town of Belen in Hatay province, which set the truck itself and two minibuses on fire. People at the scene were reportedly struck with panic. Numerous firefighting crews arrived at the scene to extinguish the blaze.
"Twelve of our citizens lost their lives in a chain-reaction crash in Hatay, 31 were injured, including three in serious condition," Koca said on Twitter, adding that 22 ambulances were deployed to the scene.
The truck driver's identity and the reasons why he lost control over the vehicle are yet to be established.