Revealed: Family of seven from Blackpool among 11 Brits hurt in Turkey open top bus crash likened to 'a warzone'
- They were en route to a local zoo with family friends in Manavgat on Thursday
A family of seven from Blackpool was among 11 Britons hurt in a holiday bus crash in Turkey this week.
They were travelling on the open-top bus with four others from Blackpool when it crashed in the Manavgat region, near Antalya, on Thursday.
One of those injured was Vinny Carlton-Simons, 43, who had to have surgery on his legs. Doctors placed 10 pins to fixate his fractures, but he is reportedly recovering well.
His wife, Danielle, 40, said the crash site was 'like a warzone' as emergency services tended to her hurt loved ones. She added that everyone was 'so so lucky' to be alive.
Her son Reggie, six, nearly fell out the window when the bus crashed onto its side, but Danielle managed to pull him inside just in time, she told the BBC.
One of those injured was Vinny Carlton-Simons (right), 43, who had to have surgery on his legs. His wife, Danielle (left), 40, said the crash site was 'like a warzone' as emergency services tended to her hurt loved ones
Doctors placed 10 pins to fixate Vinny's fractures, but he is reportedly recovering well
A family of seven from Blackpool has been hurt in a holiday bus crash in Turkey. They were travelling on the open-top bus with four others from Blackpool when it crashed in the Manavgat region, near Antalya, on Thursday. Pictured: the aftermath of the crash
'Our poor baby boy was thrown back and forth and ended up out of the window, but I thankfully managed to hold him and pull him back in. He has come away with just bruises and bumps,' Danielle wrote on social media.
She handed her son to her 19-year-old brother Bobby, after he reportedly told her she was 'covered in oil' and smoke was starting to emerge from the engine.
Bobby and Danielle's other son Kai, 16, helped to rescue people from the mangled vehicle.
'Kai and Bobby somehow managed to pull as many of us out, including me, Reggie and Vinny when the Jeep was smoking and oil was pouring through,' Danielle said.
Also inside the vehicle were Danielle's daughter Saisha, 20, Saisha's boyfriend Kacper Zielinski, 24, and Danielle's mother Laura, 59.
The group - which also included family friends and neighbours - was en route to a Turkish zoo when the accident happened.
Danielle said that the driver had disclosed to her that the brakes of the bus, who held a total of 16 tourists, had failed.
The vehicle, which was not equipped with seat belts, went over and stopped when it crashed into a lamppost.
'Kai and Bobby somehow managed to pull as many of us out, including me, Reggie and Vinny when the Jeep was smoking and oil was pouring through,' Danielle said (pictured: Danielle and Vinny)
The open-top bus reportedly crashed onto its side and then into a lamppost
Pictures from the scene of the crash in the popular tourist destination showed the severely damaged vehicle overturned and leaning up against a utility pole, with a second tour vehicle from the same company parked down the road
The front of the vehicle appeared to be crumpled, while damage was also done to the top of the bus, with handrails crushed against the utility pole
Pictures from the scene of the crash in the popular tourist destination showed the severely damaged vehicle overturned and leaning up against a utility pole, with a second tour vehicle from the same company parked down the road.
The front of the vehicle appeared to be crumpled, while damage was also done to the top of the bus, with handrails crushed against the pole.
One witness claimed the overturned tour bus smashed into the back of another.
This caused it to swerve off the road and up a verge, causing it to flip over, they said, adding that the passengers were tossed out of their seats.
Both vehicles were travelling at speed and it was fortunate that nobody was killed in the incident, the witness told Turkey's IHA broadcaster.
Danielle wrote on social media: 'Saisha and Kacper have had their heads stapled/stitched, and the rest of us have been slightly luckier and come away battered and bruised from head to toe.
'We we all were trapped or thrown from that Jeep in one way or another in the middle of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, vinny was stuck under the jeep, [the others] were trapped in behind me...'
Vinny's mother Ruth has flown to Turkey to be with her family, while the families of their friends have also travelled there to support them as two are still in hospital.
Danielle said: 'We are so so so lucky and I'm so thankful we're all alive. We just need the final three back with us so we can all look after each other.
'Family and friends are what we live for, and to lose a single one of them is the scariest thought in the whole wide world.
'I've never felt this fear and worry in my whole life. I just want everyone to be back home safe and as well as can be.'
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals following an incident in Turkey, and are in contact with the local authorities.'
