Çorlu Train Accident

Çorlu Train Accident is a railway accident that occurred on 8 July 2018 when passenger train number 12703 traveling from Edirne Uzunköprü to Istanbul Halkalı derailed near the Tekirdağ district of Çorlu, in the Sarılar Neighborhood. The train, consisting of six carriages, 362 passengers, and six crew members, derailed and overturned at approximately 17:00 at the 162nd kilometer between Balabanlı and Çorlu, with five carriages leaving the tracks. The initial report announced 10 fatalities and 73 injured; ^【1】 later, the death toll rose to 25 and the number of injured to 340.^【2】

^{Çorlu Tren Kazası (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

According to a statement issued on the same day by the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, the accident occurred due to “the erosion of soil between the culvert and the railway track” caused by excessive rainfall, resulting in five carriages derailing and overturning.^【3】

Two days after the incident, on 10 July 2018, the Chamber of Geological Engineers of the Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers prepared the Technical Inspection Report on the Site of the Tekirdağ Çorlu Train Accident based on field investigations and observations conducted by a technical team. The report attributed the accident to the overflow of İncirli Stream, accumulation of muddy material around the culvert, erosion of the railway embankment, and voiding beneath the tracks.^【4】 The İncirli Stream, with a drainage area of 1.3 km², has a loose, clay-silt topsoil structure and is composed of agricultural land, making it highly susceptible to erosion during heavy rainfall.^【7】 The accident site is located where the İncirli Stream crosses the railway line. The stream flows through a culvert beneath the tracks and reaches the Çorlu Creek approximately 90 meters to the north.^【8】

^{Menfez ile Ray Arasında Toprağın Boşalması (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Field measurements determined that the culvert was a rubble brick structure measuring 1.50 meters in width, 2.15 meters in height, and 11.50 meters in length. During the inspection, the culvert was found not to be completely blocked, but significant mud accumulation and traces of mud flow were recorded, particularly on the upstream side.^【9】

Meteorological data were also used in the report to explain the sequence of events leading to the accident. According to the nearest measurement station, the Muratlı Rainfall Measurement Station, a total of 32.4 mm of rainfall occurred within approximately 1.5 hours (between 11:00 and 12:26) on 8 July 2018. This rainfall amount corresponds to about 5% of the annual average, 1.5 times the June monthly average, and 27 times the daily average for June.^【10】

The intense rainfall over a short period caused the stream to mobilize muddy material and initiate a flow. As the flow could not pass adequately through the culvert, water accumulated behind the railway embankment, exerting pressure that eroded the fill material and left the tracks unsupported. After the subgrade beneath the rails and sleepers was emptied, the passage of the locomotive caused the carriages to derail and overturn.^【11】

The expert report submitted to the public prosecutor’s office on 8 October 2018 concluded that the accident resulted from “lack of supervision.” It stated that TCDD was required to conduct inspections on the line after heavy rainfall, but the Road Maintenance and Repair Department failed to carry them out, and the Regional Road Maintenance and Repair Department did not perform the necessary track inspection after the heavy rainfall on the day of the accident. The report also confirmed that the train did not exceed speed limits and that the drivers, Halil Altınkaya and Suat Şahin, were not at fault; they applied emergency braking to prevent greater losses.^【12】

Following the accident, the Ministry of Health dispatched ambulance helicopters, the Ministry of Interior sent rescue helicopters, and TCDD deployed crane-equipped rescue teams and search-and-rescue vehicles to the area.^【13】 Access to the accident site was hindered by mud caused by rainfall, prompting the deployment of tracked vehicles. Local farmers also assisted in evacuating the injured using their tractors.^【14】

^{İlk Müdahaleler (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

The Turkish Armed Forces dispatched helicopters to evacuate the injured, while the Turkish Red Crescent initially delivered 304 units of blood to Çorlu and Tekirdağ State Hospitals, Namık Kemal University Hospital, and private hospitals in the region.^【15】 A total of 77 ambulances were dispatched to the scene, along with 15 UMKE teams and three air ambulances. The injured were transported to hospitals in Istanbul, Tekirdağ, and Lüleburgaz.^【16】

Twenty-five people lost their lives in the accident. Their names and ages are as follows:^【17】

^{Çorlu Tren Kazası (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

• Beren Kurtuluş: 6 months
• Derya Kurtuluş: 30
• Bihter Bilgin: 14
• Emel Duman: 36
• Özge Nur Dikmen: 23
• Gülce Dikmen: 12
• Sena Köse: 16
• Oğuz Arda Sel: 9
• Hakan Sel: 43
• Mavinur Tiflizden: 7
• Ayşe Başaran: 40
• Bahar Koçman: 25
• Yağmur Laçin: 28
• Ruzibe Kartal: 70
• Gani Kartal: 73
• Ömer Alperen Can: 5
• Özcan Cesur: 47
• Seyfi Erbil: 42
• Ersen Gül: 31
• Ergün Kerpiç: 40
• İrfan Kurt: 63
• Zübeyde Seven: 61
• Serhat Şahin: 18
• Melek Tuna: 55
• Fethiye Yıldız: 69

The Çorlu Public Prosecutor’s Office partially concluded its investigation into the accident on 28 February 2019. The investigation determined that Turgut Kurt, Head of Railway Maintenance at TCDD’s 1st Region Halkalı Maintenance Directorate; Özkan Polat, Head of Road Maintenance and Repair at Çerkezköy 143 Road Maintenance Unit; Çetin Yıldırım, Head of Bridges; and Celaleddin Çabuk, Railway Maintenance Officer, were primarily at fault for the accident. Indictments were prepared against them for “causing death and injury through negligence.”Train supervisor Hüseyin Kahraman and drivers Halil Altınkaya and Suat Şahin were found not to be subject to prosecution.^【18】

^{Çorlu Tren Kazası (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

On 5 March 2019, the Çorlu 1st Heavy Criminal Court accepted the indictment. The indictment determined that the accident occurred due to the voiding of ballast and fill material beneath the rails and sleepers; the weight of the moving locomotive caused the unsupported rails to bend and open; and the train formation, beginning from the second carriage, overturned and was dragged along. The same indictment noted that the culvert was 1.5 meters wide, 2 meters high, constructed of rubble masonry, and approximately 145 years old.^【19】

In their defense, the defendants described the accident as caused by “excessive rainfall,” “localized rainfall,” and a “natural disaster.” Turgut Kurt stated that no negative findings were recorded during the inspection on 26 June prior to the accident; Özkan Polat claimed he was occupied with switch replacement work at Çerkezköy Station on the day of the accident; Çetin Yıldırım asserted that the culvert at the accident site had been inspected on 11 May 2018 with no negative findings; and Celaleddin Çabuk maintained that he had carried out all assigned orders.^【20】

In the initial phase of the trial, the four TCDD officials were tried before the Çorlu 1st Heavy Criminal Court. During the hearing on 3 July 2019, a disturbance occurred in the courtroom, prompting the court panel to withdraw from the case due to lawyers’ allegations. The file was transferred to the Çorlu 2nd Heavy Criminal Court. On the same day, relatives of the deceased and supporters marched to the courthouse holding banners reading “We Demand Justice” and photographs of those who lost their lives.^【21】

The Çorlu 1st Heavy Criminal Court sentenced nine of the thirteen defendants to prison terms ranging from 8 years and 4 months to 17 years and 6 months for “causing multiple deaths and injuries through negligence.” The court ordered the detention of Aslan, Karasu, Kurt, and Polat upon sentencing. Acquittals were issued for Kaytan, Ortancıl, Yıldırım, and Çubuk.^【22】

Immediately after the accident, the Ministry of Health announced the SABİM 184 hotline to assist families of the injured in obtaining information. Health Minister Ahmet Demircan and Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan visited the injured at Çorlu State Hospital. Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya stated that personnel from the Family Social Support Program (ASDEP) were present alongside the injured and their families.^【23】

The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Trauma Recovery Group began providing trauma therapy to survivors of the accident, witnesses, and families of those who died. An eight-member team, including psychologists and psychological counselors, worked primarily in Uzunköprü district, where the greatest losses occurred. They conducted individual interviews, carried out home visits, and prepared a psychological support handbook.^【24】

^{Karanfil Bırakma Eylemi (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

On 9 September 2018, relatives of the victims and injured gathered in the Sarılar Neighborhood and marched to the accident site, where they laid carnations on the railway tracks.^【25】

On the seventh anniversary of the accident, the Çorlu Municipality held a commemorative ceremony at the 8 July Memorial in the Sarılar Neighborhood. Citizens walked from the neighborhood square to the memorial, offered prayers, laid flowers, and observed a moment of silence. Çorlu Mayor Ahmet Sarıkurt noted in his speech that seven of the 25 victims were children.^【26】