Flash Floods Kill Six In Northern Turkey, Ten Missing

Workshops, houses and roads in residential areas in Northern Turkey are swamped with flood waters, even as removal works continue near a damaged bridge connecting Dereli district to Sivas, after heavy rains in Turkey’s Black Sea province of Giresun [Anadolu].

The floods have so far killed six people and left 10 others who are missing.

Foortage from Aljazeera shows floodwaters caused by unusually heavy rainfall dragged debris and vehicles along a road, leaving them buried in mud.

Speaking in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the floods had spread to neighbouring provinces as well, causing injuries in Rize and Trabzon.

Turkey’s Minister of Interior, Suleyman Soylu said 153 people had so far been rescued and nearly 1,000 aid workers were searching for the missing people. He revealed that power had been restored in some areas, but there was extensive damage to the infrastructure.

“We were not expecting such a severe scene in the area,” he told reporters in Giresun, along with Environment Minister Murat Kurum, who said 17 buildings had collapsed and 361 others were damaged.

Rainfall in Giresun had exceeded averages for the month of August by 1.5 times, but agricultural damage in the region was less than expected, said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli.