12 People Died in Landslide on Eastern Black Sea Coast

A landslide in the Gündoğu district of Rize on the eastern coast of the Black Sea destroyed several houses and left dozens of buildings under a layer of mud on Thursday night (26 August). A total of twelvee casualties have been reported. A seven-year old child died in the flood. Seven people are still missing.

The municipality is currently not able to provide electricity or water in the area. Dozens of cars are expected to be buried under tonnes of earth.

Some buildings were completely destroyed by the landslide caused by torrential rain falls, others were heavily damaged.

Heavy construction equipment is used non-stop to re-open roads. The Black Sea coastal road was closed in one direction after midnight.

Bakırcı: Worried about more casualties

The mayor of Rize, Halil Bakırcı, said that they were not able yet to get through to villages in the hinterland. "This is one of the biggest disasters seen in Rize in the history of the republic. The rain stopped and we will see the full extend tomorrow".

"Buildings are covered by mud up to the second floor. The fire brigade managed to rescue more than a hundred people from their homes", Bakırcı said.

He expressed his concern that the number of casualties and injured people might rise since some buildings are completely destroyed.

The basements of dozens of buildings and of a school were flooded in the centre of Rize. One bridge as part of the main road connecting several villages collapsed. (BB)