Severe rainstorms trigger flash floods in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria

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Severe rainstorms trigger flash floods in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria
Source: File

Istanbul (Web Desk): Strong rainstorms on Tuesday that hit Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria triggered flash floods resulting in at least seven deaths.

Floods in Turkey's northwest claimed at least four lives. According to Davut Gul, the city's governor, two people died in Istanbul, while two dead bodies were found in the province of Kirklareli after a campsite was swept away. 

Following the flash flood that swept over the campsite in the province of Kirklareli, close to the Bulgarian border, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that 12 tourists were at the site when the heavy rain poured down. He said that six people were rescued while search continues for four missing.  

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“Our teams will continue to work throughout the night,” the minister said on X, (formally known as Twitter). 

In Greece, police prohibited traffic in the central city of Volos, the nearby hilly region of Pilion and the resort island of Skiathos as record rainfall caused at least one death.

The fire department said on Wednesday that one man was killed near Volos when a wall collapsed and fell on him. Five people were reported missing, possibly carried away by floodwaters.

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The storm just comes after major summer bushfires that hit Greece over the past many weeks, with some burning for more than two weeks and destroying vast lands of forest, killing more than 20 people. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the bushfires and storms on climate change and said “I’m afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them…will cease to exist and from now on, the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult ”.

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In Bulgaria, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said two people had died and three others were missing after rainstorm caused floods on the country’s southern Black Sea coast.

Overflowing rivers caused severe damage to roads and bridges. The area also suffered power blackouts, and authorities warned residents not to drink tap water due to contamination from floodwaters.

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It is pertinent to mention that just a month ago, Turkey reported over 15,800 hectares lost to forest fires, Greece also reported 20 deaths in deadly wildfires a month ago. The officials in both countries and scientist are calling these storms and fires as direct results of climate change and global warming.