Villagers saved three days after flood in Black Sea district

ARTVİN – Doğan News Agency

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Some 100 villagers, who were trapped in their houses in the mountainous region of Turkey’s Black Sea province of Artvin’s Hopa district that was struck by heavy rain and floods, were saved three days later after the disaster. 

Villagers living in Hopa’s Yeşilköy neighborhood had been heavily affected by the flood, which started on Aug. 24 and led to eight people dead and one child missing. Trapped in their village without any electricity or water, 100 villagers awaited to be rescued by state officials, which came three days later on Aug. 27. 

While military choppers threw down aid to the trapped villagers until they were saved, heavy construction equipment was used to save the villagers, who were taken to a nearby village where they underwent health checks and were determined to be in good condition. 

The Prime Ministry Disaster and Management Authority (AFAD) said in a written statement eight people were dead, one missing and 19 injured after floods and landslides occurred after heavy rain in Artvin’s Hopa district on Aug. 24. Additional forces were dispatched to Artvin for search and rescue work as warnings were issued against further rainfall. 

Recalling that a warning was issued against heavy rain on Aug. 23 in Artvin, the Forestry and Water Works Minister Veysel Eroğlu said such heavy rainfall had only been seen in Hopa once in 500 years.   

The Prime Ministry has provided 10 million Turkish Liras for urgent needs in the region and the Waterworks Ministry is set to spend 100 million liras in renovating riverbeds, bridges and culverts that were damaged in the catastrophe.