Flood and landslide in Rize: Six people lose their lives, two people missing

* Photos: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Heavy rainfall hit Turkey's Black Sea province of Rize yesterday (July 14), causing landslides and flooding in several towns and districts.

In Muradiye town in central Rize, a 2-storey house collapsed as a result of a landslide; the fate of three people living in the house were unknown. The search and rescue teams started searching for the missing people.

One person also went missing in Tepebaşı Neighborhood in the district of Güneysu as a result of the rainfall and flooding.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) earlier today (July 15), the dead body of a person who got missing in Güneysu district hit by flooding and lanslides has been found some 100 meters away from his house.

In Orta Neighborhood in Muradiye, the dead body of a woman has been taken out of the collapsed building, which brought the death toll to two. As of 12 a.m. on July 16, six people have lost their lives while the search and rescue efforts for two missing people are still ongoing.

One woman stranded in Muradiye has been rescued by the teams.

Roads closed, agricultural fields damaged

While some roads in Rize have been closed due to the heavy rainfall, nearly 100 villages have been affected by the flood and agricultural fields have been damaged. The basements of some houses have been flooded.

While some roads have been closed due to landslides in İslahiye village in Güneysu and Levent village in Hemşin, a stream in Güneyse Merkez Neighborhood has overflowed its banks and flooded the district. Nearly 10 vehicles have been damaged due to the flood.

5-storey building damaged

In Çayeli district, a five-storey building has been damaged due to a landslide. The 10-member Sağkol family has been evicted from the house. They have taken shelter in the community health center.

A house collapsed in Büyükköy

In Büyükköy town, landslide has reportedly caused the collapse of an uninhabited house. Büyükköy Mayor Hamza Saruhan has indicated that they are receiving reports about the roads of the town being closed and some citizens being stranded due to the heavy rainfall.

No excavators used because of landslide risk

The heavy rainfall has also caused flooding in Rize's Pazar district. While some vehicles have been submerged in water, several workplaces have also been flooded. The search and rescue teams working in the area are not using excavators on the grounds of landslide risk.

Ministers, politicians heading to the region

While Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu have set off for the region hit by flooding and landslides, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), upon the instruction of CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has also sent a delegation to the region.

The 11th Regional Directorate of Meteorology has warned against heavy rainfall in the Black Sea region, especially in central and eastern Trabzon and around Rize. It has urged the citizens to be careful and cautious in the face of flooding, lightning, landslide and hail risks. (KÖ/SD)