Flood deaths in Turkey’s earthquake stricken area rise to 16

Rescue teams on Thursday retrieved two more bodies after floods struck two Turkish provinces that were already devastated by last month’s powerful earthquake, raising the death toll in the new disaster to 16.

Flash floods caused by torrential rains turned streets in the provinces of Adiyaman and Sanlifurfa into rivers on Wednesday, sweeping away cars and inundating homes and campsites sheltering earthquake survivors.

Most of the deaths occurred in Sanliurfa, where rescuers on Thursday found the bodies of two people who had been reported missing amid mud and debris left by the floods. The search teams there were still looking for one missing person.

In Adiyaman, two people drowned after a container home sheltering a family of earthquake survivors was washed away by surging waters. A nurse and her 2-year-old child are still missing.

Adiyaman and Sanliurfa were among 11 Turkish provinces that were hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6, killing more than 48,000 people in Turkey and an estimated 6,000 people in northern Syria.

Meanwhile, a moderately strong earthquake shook a city in northeast Turkey on Thursday, sending people out into the streets in fear.

The magnitude 4.8 earthquake was centred in the city of Bolu, some 260 kilometers east of Istanbul.

Bolu’s mayor, Tanju Ozcan, told HaberTurk television there were no reports of damage to any buildings in the city but said many people rushed outdoors in fear.

He said medics had responded to “one or two” panic attack cases. A few people were also injured after jumping from balconies.