Czech international Josef Sural dead after team bus involved in crash

Josef Sural [Photo, Courtesy]

Czech Republic international Josef Sural has died after a minibus carrying players from his club side, Alanyaspor, crashed while returning from an away match.

Sural, a 28-year-old striker, died at the hospital where he and six of his teammates, including one-cap England international Steven Caulker, were taken after the crash, the club said on Twitter.

Sural had been an unused substitute during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Kayserispor, in which Caulker had scored for the away side.

Caulker had joined the club in January after a spell with Dundee. Former Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse had also played in the fixture.

The bus, rented by the players, departed from Kayseri after a match on Sunday and went off the road approximately 5km from the Mediterranean city Alanya.

The bus had two drivers and both fell asleep, according to Alanyaspor's chairman Hasan Çavu?o?lu, quoting police sources and as reported in Turkey.

“According to the information I received from our police chief, despite there being two drivers on the vehicle, they were both asleep," Çavu?o?lu said, according to Anadolu.

"The crash happened as a result of them both being asleep.”

Šural, who won 20 caps for his country and scored once, was rushed to a nearby hospital and immediately taken for an operation, but could not be saved by doctors.

It's reported locally that both Caulker and Cisse were among the players who picked up minor injuries.

Sural moved to Turkey from his homeland in January, signing from Sparta Prague for a nominal fee.

He had also previously played for both Slovan Liberec and FC Brno.