ISTANBUL — A group of 35 Saudi tourists had a miraculous escape after a tourist bus carrying them caught fire in Turkiye. According to the Turkish media, the mishap occurred when the tourists were on their way from Bursa to Istanbul on the Gebze-Orhangazi-Izmir Motorway late on Monday evening. The 41-year-old bus driver noticed heavy smoke billowing out of the engine when the bus reached near the Gemlik Bridge, and that prompted him to make a quick decision to drop the passengers all of a sudden in a safe area. The passengers were able to get down the bus instantly before the fire engulfed the bus, turning it into a ball of fire and a pile of burning iron. No one was hurt among the passengers. The Turkish security authorities responded immediately after receiving information from the bus driver. The police forces, who rushed to the scene, cordoned off the road, and the fire brigades were able to control the fire and extinguish it. The sources stated that the Turkish security authorities launched an investigation to determine the causes of the accident. The Saudi tourists were transferred to Istanbul on board another bus.
