A pickup truck carrying hazelnut workers overturned into a ravine in Giresun: Four People from the Same Family Died

GIRESUN - In Giresun, one of Turkey's major hazelnut production centers, four people were killed when a pickup truck carrying a family returning home after the end of harvesting work rolled into a ravine. The tragic incident once again highlighted the risks hazelnut workers face.

The accident occurred on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at around 15:40 on the Oyraca Village road in Doğankent district of Giresun. According to the information obtained, a pickup truck with four people from the same family returning from hazelnut picking work went out of control and overturned into a ravine after the driver lost control of the steering wheel for an unknown reason. The vehicle, which rolled down from a height of about 100 meters, turned into a pile of scrap.

Gendarmerie, health and fire brigade teams were quickly dispatched to the scene upon the notification of the surrounding citizens. Mustafa (Ali) Alim, 80 years old, Hacer Çil, 73 years old, Yusuf Alim, 37 years old and Hanife Taş, 37 years old, who were in the vehicle that the teams reached after long efforts, were determined to have died in the first intervention. The fact that those who lost their lives in the accident belonged to the same family caused deep sorrow to the people of the village and the whole region.

The transportation of hazelnut and other agricultural workers during the harvest season, often in unsafe vehicles such as flatbed trucks, leads to similar tragedies every year. This latest incident has been recorded as a painful balance sheet of occupational health and safety deficiencies in seasonal agricultural labor.

While a detailed investigation was launched into the incident, the bodies of those who lost their lives were sent to Giresun Forensic Medicine Institution for autopsy. This tragic event reminded once again that the labor and sweat of the hazelnut season also carries great risks.

Source: ISIG assembly