Worthy Christian News > World News > Turkey, Bulgaria Storm and Tsunami Kills Many

Turkey, Bulgaria Storm and Tsunami Kills Many

By Worthy News’ George Whitten and Stefan J. Bos

ANKARA (Worthy News) – Turkey and other parts of the Balkans were recovering Thursday after a catastrophic flooding caused by massive storms and a related tsunami left a trail of destruction, killing up to 22 people, officials said.

Turkish rescue teams searched this week for 11 missing crew members of a cargo ship that sunk off the Black Sea coast. Storms claimed the lives of at least nine people, including at least one from the vessel, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

The minister told media that the Turkish-flagged Kafkametler, with 12 crew on board, had sunk off the coast of Eregli in northwest Turkey’s Zonguldak province and that the body of one crew member had been retrieved.

The ship’s captain had reported on Sunday morning that the vessel was drifting toward the harbor town of Eregli, 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Istanbul.

However, the Turkish-flagged Kafkametler sank Sunday after hitting a breakwater outside Eregli.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the vessel was on its way to the western Turkish port of Izmir when the tragedy happened.

The search-and-rescue operation was delayed by several hours because of the severe weather, officials said. But as the condition eased, rescuers Monday found the body of the ship’s cook, Uraloglu added.

SEVERAL KILLED

At least three people were killed in the storms in the town of Eregli, while five people died in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir and Batman after being swept away by floodwaters caused by heavy rains, Yerlikaya said.

The victims reportedly included a grandmother and her three grandchildren. Some 50 people were hurt.

Footage obtained by Worthy News showed what appeared to be a tsunami hitting the area, turning streets into violent rivers, and taking cars and other properties with them.

Another cargo ship, the Cameroon-flagged Pallada broke into two due to heavy weather conditions after running aground in 5-meter (16-foot) waves off Eregli, the Maritime General Directorate said. All 13 crew were rescued safely.

And, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said inmates had been transferred from Eregli’s prison to surrounding facilities due to rising water levels.

In neighboring Bulgaria, gale-force winds and heavy rain and snow claimed the lives of two people Sunday and disrupted power supplies.

Officials declared a state of emergency in the Black Sea city of Varna.