Flash floods kill 33 in southeast Turkey
Pastor Dale Morgan
Thursday November 2, 9:58 PM Reuters*
Flash floods kill 33 in southeast Turkey*
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - The death toll from flash floods sweeping
through impoverished southeast Turkey has risen to 33 on news that 11
people, including seven children, have died in the town of Batman,
officials said on Thursday.
The floods were the worst to hit the mainly Kurdish region since 1937,
said Hasan Tanriseven, a senior official, and more heavy rain is
predicted for Turkey in the coming days.
The floodwaters hit Batman on Wednesday evening, officials said, when
rivers swollen by torrential rains swamped streets and toppled
buildings, killing 11 people and triggering a major rescue operation.
Troops joined rescue services in helping to evacuate homes. Local
authorities opened municipal buildings such as sports centres to house
families fleeing the disaster.
At least seven people were treated for injuries in hospital. Residents
were also evacuated from their homes in the town of Elazig, northwest of
Batman.
Diyarbakir, the biggest city in the region, was hit by floods on Tuesday
night, the water rising with dramatic speed and taking thousands of
residents by surprise.
"I suddenly found myself surrounded by water while sitting at home. My
children and I climbed onto the roof to save ourselves," said housewife
Emine Gungoren.
"We saw an artificial lake appear in just 15 minutes. Suddenly water and
mud filled our homes," said Hasan Atmaca, a shop owner in Diyarbakir's
Cinar district.
Local people were being evacuated from their homes by boat or trying to
clear up the mess as the waters receded. Two people were still missing
in the city.
A group of people protested at government offices in Cinar district,
throwing stones and breaking windows, but later dispersed after calls
for restraint.
The newspaper Milliyet attributed the high death toll in the southeast
to shoddy construction and creaking infrastructure.
"Neglect, not fate," its headline read above a picture of flooded streets.
Roads linking Batman to Diyarbakir and other towns were closed to traffic.
Turkey's largest city Istanbul, some 1,300 km (810 miles) northwest of
Diyarbakir, and the Mediterranean cities of Antalya and Mersin have also
suffered flooding in recent days.