At least 6 killed due to floods, landslides in Turkey’s Black Sea region

RİZE

At least six people were killed and one went missing after flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains hit Turkey’s Black Sea region.

Following the heavy downpour that hit the northeastern province of Rize on July 14, landslides wreaked havoc in some areas, tearing apart chunks of soil from hills and piling up debris on streets inundated with floodwaters.

The Güneysu and Çayeli districts, located on steep hills in a challenging terrain where mountains run parallel to the sea, were the epicenters.

Rize Governor’s Office said in a statement that floods and landslides were reported in many locations across the province, adding that most rainfall was recorded in Güneysu, where 207 kilograms of precipitation hit each square meter.

Rescue teams searched for the people who went missing after heavy rainfall triggered floods and subsequent landslides.

The death toll rose to six, with the bodies of five more people who were previously reported missing.

Authorities announced that along with divers, additional crews and search and rescue dogs were brought in from nearby provinces to assist the efforts.

They also noted that around 5 million Turkish Liras ($582,000) would be sent to the region to help its recovery.

The province, similar to most of the eastern parts of the Black Sea region, is a scene of such disasters that have claimed dozens of lives over the years.

The worst one in recent memory is the 2010 floods that claimed the lives of 12 people in the town of Gündoğdu in Rize.