Turkey has been hit by severe storms and floods over the weekend, causing deaths, damages and transport disruptions in several cities across the country. Two people have been killed in the provinces of Konya and Sinop, while the coastal city of İzmir was flooded to the point of resembling Venice.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, a 62-year-old man died in Konya on Saturday after his car was swept away by a flash flood. The man was driving on a rural road when he encountered the flood and tried to turn back, but his vehicle was dragged into a canal. His body was later recovered by rescue teams.
On Sunday, another man died in Sinop after he was trapped under a collapsed wall due to heavy rain. The 58-year-old victim was working at a construction site when the wall collapsed on him. He was taken to a hospital but could not be saved.
Meanwhile, İzmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, experienced unprecedented flooding on Saturday, as torrential rain turned streets into rivers and submerged cars and buildings. The city’s mayor, Tunç Soyer, said the rainfall was the highest in 80 years. He said more than 2,000 buildings were affected by the floods and urged citizens to stay at home.
The floods also disrupted public transport and caused power outages in some parts of the city. The metro and tram services were suspended, while some bus routes were diverted or cancelled. The authorities said they were working to restore the services as soon as possible.
The storms and floods also affected other cities in Turkey, such as Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Antalya and Adana, where roads, bridges, homes and businesses were damaged by the rain and wind. The Turkish Meteorological Service warned of further rainfall and thunderstorms in the coming days and advised people to take precautions. (VK)