Dam Gate Breaks Off, Hevsel Gardens Flooded

* Photographs: Hasan Namlı / Anadolu Agency

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

One of the gates of the Dicle (Tigris) Dam, which is located in the district of Eğil in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır, broke off yesterday (December 13) while it was opened to remove the excessive water that accumulated in the dam as a result of heavy rains.

After the gate of the dam broke off, the water level in the area has increased and some parts of the Hevsel Gardens, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, have been flooded.

The residents living in the vicinity of Tigris river in the districts of Eğil, Yenişehir, Sur, Çınar and Bismil had to leave their houses and workplaces.

Upon the warning of the General Directorate for State Hydraulic Works, precautions have been taken in the lower parts of the Tigris river.

While fire department and Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) teams have been referred to the region, announcements are also made from the loudspeakers of the municipality and mosques, calling people to keep away from the banks of the river.

Statement by Governorship of Diyarbakır

The Governorship of Diyarbakır has released a statement regarding the gate of the dam which broke off and the ensuing flood.

The Governorship has stated that "the level of water in the reservoir of the dam quickly increased as a result of perpetual rains that were above the seasonal normals, which led the gate of the dam to break off." (HA/SD)