Officials said that at least 12 people were killed, and 31 injured – three of them seriously – after a crash involving multiple vehicles in southern Turkey.

The incident occurred on Saturday night in Hatay Province – one the worst affected areas by a quake earlier this year.

The pile-up occurred when a trucker lost control of the Iskenderun – Antakya highway and crossed over to the opposite carriageway.

Anadolu, the Turkish state news agency, reported that the truck was involved in a collision with nine cars and 2 minibuses.

Friends and family members were saying goodbye to the men who had to leave to perform their mandatory military service.

Demiroren, a private news agency, reported that the truck was carrying earthquake rubble excavated and had hit another truck before crossing over the highway around 7pm local (5pm UK time).

The Health Minister Fahrettin Kca tweeted that fires had broken out and that 22 ambulances as well as three medical rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene.

He said, “I express my condolences for the families of those who have lost their lives. May God have mercy.” “We will try to help the injured recover as quickly as possible.”

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Anadolu reports that Ali Sarrac, a witness, said some of the victims had been burned to death.

As emergency crews tried to keep people from the fire, they captured images of burning vehicles.

Hatay, near the Syrian border, was one of 11 Turkish regions that were affected by the 6 February earthquake in Turkey and Syria .

According to the government, the disaster is the worst ever in modern Turkish history. The death toll has reached at least 50 783.