The initial toll from the blast on Thursday night was far lower and Turkish authorities only confirmed on Monday that 13 more victims had been identified, saying a total of 16 people were killed in the blast.

The body parts from the victims -- described as local villagers -- were scattered over such a wide area that identification on the spot was impossible and the remains were sent to Istanbul for DNA testing.

In a sign of the gravity of the incident, the funerals in the village of Sarikamis just outside the Kurdish-dominated southeast's main city of Diyarbakir were led by Interior Minister Efkan Ala and Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz.

The coffins of the 13 victims were laid to rest side-by-side in a joint plot at the village cemetery, an AFP photographer said.

Thee were scenes of agony as the coffins were carried to the graveyard with men and women collapsing in grief and embracing the coffins in a final farewell.

On the night of the incident, Turkish authorities said four "bombmakers" from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were killed when the truck filled with explosives detonated.

But villagers said the death toll had been far higher from a gigantic blast that was felt in Diyarbakir city and left a wide crater in the ground.

Official statements this week have said three victims were buried on May 13, making the total death toll 16.

In a statement, the PKK acknowledged the incident, claiming the vehicle exploded when anti-PKK villagers opened fire on the truck. The group said the explosives were meant to be transferred to another location and not detonated.

Turkey has been waging an offensive against the PKK after the collapse in 2015 of a two-year ceasefire declared by the group.

Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in attacks since then although civilian deaths in the conflict have rarely been confirmed.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkey's biggest minority.

Since then, the group has pared back its demands to focus on cultural rights and a measure of autonomy.