Homeless man dies at Istanbul bus stop amid latest cold snap

ISTANBUL

A homeless man in Istanbul was found dead at a bus stop in the Beyoğlu district on the morning of Jan. 27 amid a cold snap that has prompted municipal authorities to mobilize in a bid to rescue those without shelter from the streets, daily Hürriyet has reported.

Witnesses called police to inform them about a man who was lying still at a bus stop at 8:30 a.m. in Beyoğlu, after which medics found that he had died, possibly due to the cold temperatures.

Police could not locate any ID on the body of the man.

The man’s body was taken to the forensics institution, with officials saying the cause of death would be confirmed after detailed medical examinations.

Meanwhile, police teams reportedly struggled to save another homeless man in the Tophane neighborhood in central Istanbul, waking him up as he was on the verge of death. The man was taken into a police car to warm up before being delivered to medics.

Istanbul Municipality is making an effort to serve homeless people amid the cold snap and snowfall, hosting 670 people who are living on the streets in a sports hall in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul.  

The Health and Social Services Department of Istanbul Municipality is working in coordination with the municipal police department, gathering homeless people who are on the verge of the death due to freezing. 

Those taken by municipal teams are first given a medical examination before being sent to guesthouses.

The municipality is also supplying clothes and shoes for people who need them, while also providing three meals a day.