The traffic accident scene in Mount Bolu Tunnel on the Ankara-Istanbul motorway in northwestern Turkey, on March 19, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

At least 30 people were injured on Saturday in a pileup inside the Mount Bolu Tunnel on the Ankara-Istanbul motorway in northwestern Turkey, a local governor said.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 17 people were taken to hospitals, including three badly injured.

Security camera footage inside the tunnel shows a car sliding and hitting the tunnel wall before several other vehicles hit each other, Governor of Bolu Province Ahmet Umit told reporters.

The traffic accident scene in Mount Bolu Tunnel on the Ankara-Istanbul motorway in northwestern Turkey, on March 19, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

Ambulances, firefighters, police officers, and teams from the country's disaster agency have been dispatched to the scene. Traffic was temporarily diverted to the D-100 motorway for about two hours after the accident, according to the official.

The accident involved 18 vehicles, including minibuses, cars, trucks, semi-trailers, and intercity coach buses, and it had been taking time to pull the trucks during the rescue operations, the governor said.

The Mount Bolu area is notorious for heavy snowfall, accidents, and sharp bends.

Turkish authorities have called for avoiding unnecessary traffic as blizzards were forecast across the country over the weekend.

The traffic accident scene in Mount Bolu Tunnel on the Ankara-Istanbul motorway in northwestern Turkey, on March 19, 2022.Photo:Xinhua