Deadly flash floods and landslides hit northern Turkey

Severe torrential rains caused flash flooding in northern Turkey. Many houses, workplaces and roads were flooded in the Dikmen and Durağan districts after it began raining early on Monday evening and continued into Tuesday.

The downpours have caused a river to burst its banks late Tuesday, inundating homes and shops and stranding cars in the Black Sea port city of Samsun. Violent storms ripped down trees and power lines, knocking out power in 28 villages in the district of Çarşamba.

(Deadly flash floods slam northern Turkey by reuters)The Samsun-Sinop highway was closed to traffic after the Güzelceçay Bridge collapsed due to heavy rain. The eastern province of Erzurum was also hit by heavy rain on Tuesday, with many houses and workplaces flooded in Oltu. The Oltu-Narman highway was temporarily closed to traffic and many other roads sustained damage.

Floods triggered by torrential rains have claimed the lives of eight people and injured 21 others in Turkey’s northeastern province of Samsun.

Meteorologists have warned residents of the likelihood of flash floods and landslides caused by the heavy rains, which are expected to continue in the Black Sea provinces of Samsun, Ordu and Sinop.

Sources: Haberler, Reuters/DailyMotion, TodaysZaman

Images by: http://fotogaleri.haberler.com