President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday ordered Russia's emergencies ministry to aid the Russian tourists injured in a bus crash in Turkey, and to repatriate the bodies of those killed, a Kremlin's statement said.
The Russian tourists were en route from the Turkish resort of Alanya to the town of Pamukkale when their bus veered off the road into the Aksu River 15 meters below, leaving at least 16 dead and injuring 25.
Medvedev urged the Health and Emergency Situations ministries to provide the injured with aid and to assist victims' relatives by transporting the dead to Russia.
The statement said the president urged the Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to work with Turkish counterparts on the investigation into the crash.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said it would send an Il-76 plane to Turkey later on Tuesday to evacuate the injured tourists.
"Takeoff is planned for about 3 p.m. Moscow time [11:00 GMT] from Ramenskoye airfield," ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said.
She said the plane was equipped with special medical equipment to provide emergency aid to accident victims.
The plane will also take 15 doctors from the Disaster Medicine Center and Emergency Situations Ministry, as well as two psychologists, to help the survivors.
MOSCOW, May 25 (RIA Novosti)
