Five missing, three killed in raging floods in western Turkey

Continuing heavy rain in western and southwestern provinces of Turkey causes deaths of three people while five are reported to be missing. Another 10 people in Balıkesir province are wounded due to a hurricane.

1000 decares of land was damaged in in Antalya’s Serik district due to continuing rain in the city. Agricultural fields were also reported to be damaged. DHA photo

Three people were killed and five were missing after raging floods in the southwestern provinces of Manisa, Antalya and Denizli yesterday caused significant damage and broke off lines of communication and transportation.

Rescue crews were searching for Hasan Bulut, Hulusi Kutlu, Fatma Kutlu, Süleyman Çelik and Meryem Çelik from the village of Haskızılören in the Mediterranean province of Antalya. Helicopters were dropping food supplies into the village as road access had been broken off when three bridges collapsed in the area.

Search and rescue teams have identified the body of Ayşe Beşbaş. Sıdıka Gümüş, 60, also died after she was caught in drifting flood waters in the village of Karabayır in the Aegean province of Denizli. The districts of Çameli, Kale and Tavas in Denizli were heavily affected by the downpour, while a hydroelectric dam was also damaged in Demirciler village. 10 people were wounded due to tornado in Balıkesir.

“There are difficulties about electricity. The teams are working on it. Civil Defense and Coast Guard helicopters and forestry helicopters are carrying teams to the villages. The region is inaccessible by land routes,” said Antalya Gov. Ahmet Altıparmak.

Over 100 hectares of greenhouses were flooded in the districts of Serik and Aksu in Antalya, according to Altıparmak, while another 25 people were reportedly rescued by emergency teams.

Primary and secondary school classes in central Antalya and other districts were also canceled for the day, following warnings issued by meteorology officials.

The Food, Agriculture and Livestock Provincial Director Bedrullah Erçin said there was substantial damage to agricultural fields, although the total damage was yet to be assessed.

Meanwhile, a Turkish Sky Airlines plane carrying 156 passengers from Germany on Monday made a belly landing at Antalya airport in southern Turkey but nobody was injured.

The torrential rains that caused the floods and wreaked havoc in Antalya were the heaviest rains seen in the province since 1974, according to Necip Duman, head of the Antalya Meteorology Regional Directorate. Some 30 centimeters of rain fell in the airport area during the last 24 hours, Duman said. The current climactic conditions will continue through Tuesday, Duman said. Heavy rain affected Istanbul as well, flooding many roads and blocking traffic. Meteorologists in Istanbul also warned about heavy rain, flooding and traffic problems.

Compiled from the Anatolia news agency and the Doğan news agency stories by the Daily News staff in Istanbul.