Train derailment kills 70 in Turkey

A high-speed train derailed in Turkey tonight, killing up to 70 people and injuring some 30 others.

The train was travelling from Istanbul to Ankara when four carriages overturned near Pamukova in Sakarya province, railway authorities said. The cause of the accident was not known.

Suat Cimen, head of the hospital in Pamukova, said about 70 people were killed and some 30 others were injured.

Oguz Dizer, a journalist travelling in the area, said soldiers had arrived on the scene to help the injured.

He said he saw several bodies lying near the tracks.

“The scene is one of carnage,” Dizer said. “There are people lying all over the place.”