South Faces Wildfires, North Floods... Turkey Struggles with Disasters

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Following a wildfire last month in southern Turkey that caused over 800 casualties, a large-scale flood in the northern region has resulted in 27 deaths.

On the 13th (local time), the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority announced that 25 people died in Kastamonu Province and 2 in Sinop Province due to flooding in the northern region. Additionally, an 80-year-old woman went missing in Bartın Province.

After President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an announced the death toll from the flood as 17 the previous day, search and rescue teams recovered more bodies from the disaster area, confirming additional fatalities.

Since the 11th, heavy rains have caused large-scale flooding and landslides in northern Turkey's Kastamonu, Sinop, Bartın, and Samsun provinces. This led to the flooding of homes, collapse of buildings and bridges, and widespread power outages.

Earlier, on the 28th of last month, a wildfire in Antalya Province in southern Turkey spread to neighboring Mu?la and Aydın provinces, destroying over 100,000 hectares of forest. At least 8 people died and more than 860 were injured. Thousands were displaced.

Bekir Pakdemirli, Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, stated the previous day that since last month, 299 wildfires occurred across 54 regions nationwide, but all have been extinguished.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.