Some 200 people evacuated as heavy rain hits Black Sea province of Rize

RİZE

Heavy rain has once again hit the Black Sea province of Rize, less than two weeks after the torrential rain and flooding in the city killed at least six people while two others went missing.

In the Fındıklı, Çamlıhemşin and Ardeşen districts of the province, the creeks overflowed their banks.

In Fındıklı, some roads were blocked while the heavy rain left several businesses and homes flooded, causing damage to farmlands.

Two villages were evacuated, and their residents were transferred to safe areas, said the governor of Rize, Kemal Çeber, adding that the rain is expected to continue overnight.

Rize received some 110 kilograms of rain in just 12 hours, according to the governor.

“We rescued nine people. There are no casualties,” Çeber also said.

Some 2,800 personnel and 800 vehicles are taking part in the rescue efforts in Rize, the governor added.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called in the morning to get information about the current situation.

The heavy rain also hit another Black Sea province of Artvin, particularly the district of Arhavi.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu traveled to Artvin to assess the situation and oversee rescue efforts.

“The districts of Arhavi and Murgul appear to suffer most. Some people were stranded. The units are working to remove the water in apartments’ basements,” Soylu said.

According to the minister, teams from Trabzon province and neighboring Erzurum were transferred to Artvin to help with rescue work.

“One or two people were injured, and they are receiving treatment,” he added.

Soylu also dismissed suggestions that a dam collapsed in the affected area, saying, “This is not correct information.”

Around 200 people have been evacuated due to flooding in Turkey’s eastern Black Sea region, the Turkish disaster management agency said. 

The Arhavi River overflowed due to heavy rain, badly affecting the district center and village roads in the Artvin province, said Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

Six people trapped in the Arhavi district and nine in the Murgul district were taken to safe areas, the statement added.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter that one person who was rescued from the rubble in Arhavi and taken to a hospital was in good condition.

There are also electricity cuts in the region. The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry reported that 3,045 subscribers were left without electricity due to floods in the neighboring provinces of Artvin and Rize. The energy of 9,650 subscribers was cut off due to security measures, the ministry said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) rescued 18 people, including eight children, who were trapped in Arhavi’s Mencuna Waterfall.