ANKARA

The death toll from a commuter bus crash that happened in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday rose to 12, the governorate said.

It said in a statement that the accident took place at 13.30 local time (1000GMT) when the vehicle ran into a bus stop in the Dikimevi neighborhood of Ankara’s Cankaya district.

Twelve others were wounded and eight vehicles were damaged in the fatal accident, said the statement, adding that the injured had been receiving treatment in three hospitals.

The vehicle crashed into the bus stop and drifted 80 meters on the pavement after the driver lost control of the vehicle due to an unknown reason, the statement said.

An investigation is under way, added the governorate.

Earlier, Ankara Governor Mehmet Kiliclar and Kadri Kartal, the head of the Ankara Security Directorate, examined the scene following the accident.

The governor said according to first findings the bus driver had no health problems and cited a statement by the driver -- identified as E.A, 46 - saying the vehicle “got out of my control".

Meanwhile, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan expressed his condolences to the families of the slain people on his Twitter account.

Akdogan tweeted: "Our 11 citizens have lost their lives in Ankara accident. May God have mercy on their souls."

The reason behind the crash remains unknown but claims on some social media focus on an apparent failure in the vehicle’s braking system.