At least 62 people have died in severe flooding in Turkey as torrential rains battered the northwest provinces bordering the Black Sea. Turkish authorities said on Sunday that several people were missing, and rescue operations continue to evacuate people.
News reports suggested that floods and mudslides demolished houses and bridges, swept away cars, and destroyed roads, making them impassable. More than 1,700 people have been evacuated from the region. Some were lifted from rooftops by helicopters, and others took shelter in student dormitories.
Turkey’s disaster agency, AFAD, said 52 people died in the Kastamonu province, nine in Sinop, and one person in Bartin. According to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, 77 people were still missing in the flooding, and eight were hospitalised. Soylu mentioned that rescue efforts were going in full swing and promised to support the affected.
“We delivered 20 tonnes of food yesterday and today by helicopter alone,” Soylu said, adding that officials were trying to meet the needs of victims, from funerals to damage assessment. “We will give 3 thousand liras to the citizens whose houses we have evacuated, regardless of whether their house is damaged or not,” Soylu told reporters on Sunday.
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey would “quickly remove the traces of the flood disaster, heal the wounds, share the grief of our losses and leave behind these days as soon as possible.” He added that authorities “will continue to closely follow the works carried out to repair the damages and compensate for the losses.”
“Currently, 4,760 personnel, 19 helicopters, 1 UAV, 66 ambulances, 41 UMKEs, 630 duty vehicles, 437 construction vehicles and other equipment are carrying out activities on the ground,” Erdoğan said. “We have stood by our citizens with all our means since the very beginning of the disaster,” he added.
The Turkish Defence Ministry announced that it was sending two ships to evacuate people and vehicles from Sinop. The Military also sent armoured vehicles to serve as temporary bridges. “In place of the bridges destroyed by the flood in Sinop, the Horizontal Sliding Armored Vehicle Overpass (ZAAK) of our Turkish Armed Forces was established,” it tweeted.
Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grief over the loss of lives and damage to infrastructure in Turkey. Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN chief “extends his deep condolences” to those affected by the floods. “The United Nations stands in solidarity with the people and the Government of the Republic of Turkey at this challenging time,” Dujarric added.
Moreover, the Israeli Defence Ministry said it had offered to send a search and rescue team to Turkey to assist with the rescue efforts. “Defence Minister Benny Gantz contacted Turkey’s defence attache in Israel and the Turkish Defence Ministry, with an offer to send a Home Front Command delegation to Turkey, including search-and-rescue and medical assistance,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The heavy flooding in Turkey came after wildfires, driven by a deadly heatwave, ravaged the country’s southern coast along the Mediterranean Sea this month. The fires, the worst in Turkey’s history, have killed several people, damaged infrastructure, and destroyed property.
Similar wildfires have engulfed large parts of Greece, Algeria, Italy, and Israel. Last week, the European Union said that the Mediterranean had become a wildfire hotspot, fuelled by an intense heatwave and human-induced climate change. According to a recent United Nations report, climate scientists believe that humans burning fossil fuels have led to severe global warming and rapidly rising sea levels, accelerating extreme weather events like floods, heatwaves, and droughts.
62 Dead in Turkey Floods, Search for Missing Continues
The death toll from the severe floods and mudslides in Turkey has risen to 62. Rescue crews are conducting search and rescue operations, as dozens have gone missing.
August 16, 2021
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS