Flood in İzmir: 2 people lose their lives

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The deceased bodies of two people have been found after they went missing when a light commercial vehicle was swept away by flood waters in western Turkey, a security source said on Monday (December 14).

Due to heavy rainfall, a stream in the Menderes district of Turkey's Aegean province of İzmir overflowed and the vehicle carrying five people started drifting away as it attempted to cross the stream. While three of them were able to save their lives, two others went missing in flood waters.

While one of the missing persons was found in a water trench nearly three kilometers (1.86 miles) away from the scene, the teams searching the area via police helicopter detected the other person's missing body nearly four kilometers (2.48 miles) away on a waterfront. The vehicle was found nearly 800 meters (2,624 feet) away from the scene.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, İzmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger said that the water level was still high, and it was technically impossible to remove the vehicle. He said that the incident occurred when the weekend curfew, which was imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, was in force.

Rainfall in İzmir and Antalya

The Aegean and Mediterranean regions in western Turkey have been receiving sporadic heavy rainfall since Friday (December 11).

While a supporting wall collapsed in Buca district in İzmir, damaging 20 vehicles parked alongside the wall, the sea overflowed its banks in Karşıyaka district in the city, flooding the gardens of the housing estates on the coastline and submerging the vehicles parked there.

In Antalya, agricultural fields as well as some houses and workplaces have been flooded as a result of heavy rainfall. Landslides and floods have also occurred in the province. (TP/SD)