Aegean storm kills two men

İZMİR / EDİRNE - Doğan News Agency

Two seamen die when their boat is overturned due to a storm off shore near the western province of Izmir. AA photo

Powerful storms in the Aegean Sea killed two people in a boating accident off the coast of Izmir and have left two others missing near Edirne province.

Two seamen died yesterday when their boat was overturned due to a strong storm off shore near the western province of Izmir’s Çeşme district.

Selami Bağcı, the only survivor of the accident said that despite the deaths of his two friends, Bülent Tutal and Ömer Cinstaş, he swam more than four hours to reach the shore.

Also in the northwestern province of Edirne, a boat belonging to two alleged smugglers carrying nearly two tons of mussels from Turkey to Greece was overturned and the two men are still missing.
Rescue works continue according to reports.

Meanwhile Turkey’s General Directorate of State Meteorology Affairs issued a warning for seamen who are sailing in the Aegean today, stating strong storms were likely to continue.

Daily life was also brought to a halt in the western province of Izmir where many houses flooded due to heavy rains.