Families of those missing after the worst floods hit Turkey in years are now anxiously watching rescuers search the buildings, fearing the death toll from the bad weather will rise further.
At least 40 people have been killed in floods in the Black Sea region of northern Turkey in the country's second natural disaster this month. A video recorded by Reuters with the help of drones reveals the magnitude of the disaster in the affected city of Bozkurt, where rescue teams are operating on the collapsed buildings.
Thirty-four people have been killed in floods in the province of Kastamonu, where Bozkurt is located, and six others in Sinop, according to the Turkish Disaster Management Authority (AFAD). In one of the buildings that collapsed along the bank of a river that overflowed, it is believed that 10 people are buried. The torrents swept away the foundations of other apartment buildings. The relatives of the missing, desperately wanting to know news, were nearby.
“It simply came to our notice then. There is no electricity. “Cell phones do not work… You can not hear news from anyone”, said the 42-year-old resident of the area Ilias Kalabalik. “We had no idea if the water was rising or not, if the building was flooded or not. We just waited, like here. Our spouses and children were panicking. As soon as it dawned, we saw police. They took us from the building and left us at a gas station “. The 42-year-old was surrounded by other residents, who asked each other if anyone had any news about the missing. “My aunt's children are here. My aunt is ignored. Her husband is ignored. Her twin grandchildren are ignored. “The wife of the manager of our apartment building is being ignored along with their two children,” he told Reuters.
The floods wreaked havoc in the northern provinces, with authorities announcing that two weeks of wildfires on the south coast had been brought under control. About 45 cm of rain fell in less than three days in a village near Bozkurt.
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