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Flooding kills at least 38 in southeast Turkey |
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Written by AP
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Friday, 03 November 2006 03:49 |
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Authorities recovered the bodies of 16 more flood victims in southeast region on Thursday, increasing the death toll in the past two days to 38, the state-owned Anatolia news agency reported.
At least seven children were among the bodies recovered Thursday in the southeastern town of Batman, it said.
Authorities began evacuating people from the town of Harran, in the nearby province of Sanliurfa as torrential rains continued to fall across the region, CNN-Turk television reported.
Soldiers attempted to rescue the stranded and the mayor of Batman closed schools for two days. Dozens were reported missing.
Authorities also dispatched tents, field kitchens and rescue teams to the southeast.
On Wednesday, at least 22 people were confirmed dead in the flooding, including 14 people swept away in a minibus on their way to a wedding.
Heavy rainfall and flooding were also affecting other parts of the country, closing down roads and highways along the coast and forcing some to evacuate their homes in Istanbul.
Heavy rainfall often causes flooding in Istanbul where construction work in low-lying areas is often carried out without the necessary precautions.
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