At least 142 people have died and 860 were injured in traffic accidents as Turks took to the roads for a nine-day holiday, according to reports in the Turkish media on Sunday.
The Eid al-Adha holiday, extended to nine days this year, traditionally sees Turkish roads crowded with travelers, with an inevitable rise in the number of accidents.
This year was no exception, with at least 142 dead and 860 injured on the roads as of 18:00 p.m. on Sunday, the last day of the holiday, according to the Cumhuriyet newspaper. The toll looks set to rise further as roads will remain busy with returning holidaymakers until late Sunday night.
According to the report, August 22 was the most deadly day of the holiday, with 27 deaths in traffic accidents across the country and 119 injured.
About 10,000 people die on the roads in Turkey each year, a fatality rate of 8,9 per 100 thousand inhabitants, slightly less than the overall European rate of 9,3.
