RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a cable of condolences and sympathy to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on victims of the two car accidents that took place in southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Mardin on Saturday, the Saudi Press agency reported early Tuesday.

“As we share with you the pain of this affliction, we send to Your Excellency, the families of the deceased and the Turkish people, our deepest and sincere condolences,” the king said, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to the Turkish president.

At least 34 people were killed and dozens injured in two separate road accidents Saturday, each in places where collisions had taken place shortly before, local media reported.

A first crash involving a bus and an ambulance killed 15 people and injured 31 more on a motorway in Gaziantep province, said local officials, revising an earlier toll of 16.

Governor Davut Gul said earlier the accident had involved “a bus, an emergency team and an ambulance” on the route between provincial capital Gaziantep and Nizip.

A second deadly accident took place a few hours later, 250 kilometres (155 miles) away, which also happened as the emergency services were attending an earlier incident at the site.

At least 19 people were killed and nearly 30 injured after a truck driver hurtled into pedestrians at Derik in Mardin province, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter, updating an earlier toll of 16.

The accident in Derik “occurred after the brakes gave out on a lorry, which hit a crowd”, Koca wrote. Another 26 were injured, six of them seriously, he added.

(With AFP)