At least three people die in flash floods in Aksaray, Nevşehir

AKSARAY/NEVŞEHİR

At least three people lost their lives due to floods wreaking havoc in the Central Anatolia Region, as search and rescue teams continue their efforts to find a 3-month-old baby who went missing in the surging floodwaters, Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has announced.

Following floods in the Black Sea region on Sept. 3, heavy rainfall, commencing around 8 p.m., inundated houses and workplaces in the inner parts of the country as well, primarily in Nevşehir and Aksaray.

In Nevşehir, the lifeless bodies of a couple, identified to have been in a vehicle swept away by the flood while in motion, were discovered approximately 500 meters from their vehicle, after nearly three hours of intensive work.

In Aksaray, aside from the damage to houses, workplaces and shops, the torrential rain caused roads to collapse, leaving many residents stranded in their vehicles.

AFAD and gendarmerie teams successfully rescued 14 individuals stranded in the city, but during the evacuation efforts, the lifeless body of a woman was recovered. Local authorities also reported a road collapse near a gas station on the city's outskirts.

Additionally, a couple stranded in their vehicle managed to save themselves, yet 25-year-old mother Hayriye Balcan's 3-month-old daughter, Asel, slipped from arms and was swept away by the floodwaters.

AFAD teams continue their operations to locate the missing baby, while local authorities have reported that the parents are in stable health.

Alongside AFAD and gendarmerie teams intensifying their search efforts along the canal where the incident occurred, a team of 15 divers from the southern province of Antalya joined the operation. A team of 70 individuals employed "sonar probing" in the canal to search for baby Asel.

Providing information on the floods, AFAD head Okay Memiş noted that while teams were on alert for the northern cities of Samsun and Giresun, both affected by the floods on Sept. 3, additional teams were urgently dispatched to Aksaray and Nevşehir based on the reports received.

A team of 150 people carries out evacuation and search operations in Aksaray, Memiş said during his visit to the flood-hit city.

On the other hand, he reminded that the Turkish State Meteorological Service issued an “orange alert” for Samsun on Sept. 4, reaffirming that teams continue their operations in the northern region.

“Orange alert” is rarely issued, which signifies a possibility of damage and loss in a “dangerous weather situation.”

On Sept. 3, approximately 147 kilograms of precipitation per square meter fell in just six hours, causing significant damage, road closures and vehicle overturns, reports indicate, while individuals are stranded in various areas of Samsun.