One killed as severe storms hit western Turkey

ISTANBUL

AA Photo

One person was killed today in an accident in the Aegean province of Denizli caused by severe weather conditions that took a grip over much of western Turkey, daily Hürriyet reported.
 
İsmail Karagönlü, 28, was killed in a motorcycle accident after the storm caused him to lose his grip on his bike, resulting in him flying off the road.
 
Severe weather conditions also stopped daily life in Istanbul, as bridges were closed and buildings collapsed due to the heavy storm, whose winds reached speeds of 100 kilometers an hour.
 
Lanes on the Bosphorus Bridge were closed down, and drivers were warned to hold on to their steering wheels tightly.
 
Meanwhile, scaffolding from a construction site in the neighborhood of Nişantaşı collapsed, wounding a taxi driver parked in his cab below the jobsite.
 
Elsewhere, a truck tipped over close to a Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge exit, causing a large traffic jam.
 
All sea transportation has been canceled in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines cancelled 43 international and domestic flights.
 
Ankara, Eskişehir and İzmir also witnessed heavy storms.