Flooding in Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey Kills 12
At least 12 people have died after torrential rain has brought flash floods to Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria with more feared dead.
Turkey
Among the dead are 4 tourists camping in Turkey who were swept away by the water after their campsite was flooded. Two more of the camping party are still missing.
The flooding was caused by the torrential rain following a very dry summer with the Istanbul reservoir having its lowest water levels in nine years. This has resulted in the closure of several subway stations and the rescue of approximately a dozen people that were stranded in a public library. The Istanbul Governor's Office has stated that the flooding has affected over 1,750 homes and businesses. This included the destruction of merchandise in a furniture store as the rivers dragged vehicles into the store according to Turkish media reports.
Greece
A summer of wildfires has given away to a year's worth of rainfall in a day in Volos, the mountain region of Pelion and Skiathos, with the police banning travel to the areas for concerns over public safety. 2 deaths have been reported, with a man in Volos being killed by a falling wall and the body of an elderly woman being discovered in the Pelion areas. 4 more are missing, with significant damage being reported in the villages in the Pelion area.
One Pelion village recorded 750.4mm of rainfall in 24 hours, a stark contrast to the 400mm average annual rainfall in the Athens area. This is the highest level recorded in the area since 2006.
Bulgaria
The body of a tourist has been recovered from the Black Sea coast of southern Bulgaria, with 3 deaths being reported from the country so far and 2 more still missing. The area has been subject to blackouts with resort town Tsarevo being put into a state of emergency by the authorities after 2m / 6ft waves hit the beaches and cars and vans were swept out to sea following rivers bursting their banks. The public has been warned against drinking tap water as a result of contamination.
Are 4000 people along the Bulgarian coast have been impacted, with difficulties now arising in attempts to transport tourists to safety as it is now dangerous to travel by roads.
Sources:
ITV - https://www.itv.com/news/2023-09-05/greece-floods-kill-at-least-one-as-torrential-rain-follows-summer-of-wildfires
The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/06/flash-floods-kill-tourists-in-turkey-greece-and-bulgaria
The National News - https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2023/09/06/turkey-two-killed-due-to-flash-floods-in-istanbul/
