It was an unusually high amount of rain. Torrential rain triggered flash floods. At least six people were injured but they were not in serious condition. Cars were swept away and businesses hit. There were dramatic scenes of drivers trying to escape from their vehicles and several cars being swept down the street by flood waters.Basement floors of buildings and shops were underwater. In Silivri, a seaside suburb of Turkey’s biggest city Istanbul, one person died of a heart attack when flood waters gushed into his home. Rescuers worked hard.
About 164 vehicles were damaged by the sudden flood. Footage showed cars and trucks being swept away in the floods. Dozens of people were evacuated from their homes by military helicopters and small boats. Two international highways linking Istanbul to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria were closed. Ankara’s Mayor, Mustafa Tuna, told local media it was a “natural disaster like never before”. The Government was working to assess and alleviate the damage. In the forecast severe weather remains the principal prediction for the following days. It may even be next Saturday before the wet weather finally clears away.
