Floods hit İzmir as people told to stay at home

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Extreme rainfall has caused floods in several parts of İzmir province in western Turkey as the governor's office recorded 673 incidents of flooding and 23 incidents of people being stranded.

Urging the people to stay at home, Mayor Tunç Soyer said, "Eighteen percent of the total precipitation of 2020 fell within 24 hours."

"Precipitation per square meter was 126 kilograms. This is a very serious number," he said. "The total amount of precipitation in a year is 717 kilograms."

According to the State Meteorological Service, the province's average precipitation is 102 kilograms.

The rain is expected to continue today, Soyer added.

Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger said that one person had been found to be killed due to the floods.

He also called on the residents of the city to stay at home and declared that public employees will be deemed to be on half-day administrative leave.

Many roads and underpasses are still blocked due to flooding as several streams overflowed, said the governor.

The districts of Gaziemir, Karabağlar, Balçova, Konak, Bayraklı, Bornova, Karaburun, Alsancak are among the most affected. (TP/VK)