Floods kill 14 in earthquake-stricken cities in Turkey

Floods caused by torrential rains hit two Turkish provinces that were devastated by last month’s catastrophic earthquake, killing at least 14 people and increasing the misery for thousands who were left homeless, officials said Wednesday.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced that rescue teams are still searching for five people reported missing in three locations after flash floods turned roads in Adiyaman and Sanliurfa provinces into rivers, washed away cars, flooded homes, and drenched campsites where earthquake survivors were staying.

At least 12 people were killed in Sanliurfa, where torrential downpour that started Tuesday evening caused floods that damaged many homes and vehicles.

Bodies of five Syrian nationals were found in a flooded basement apartment and two others died in a van stuck in an underpass.

In Adiyaman, two people drowned after surging waters swept away a container home sheltering a family of earthquake survivors.

Footage from Sanliurfa showed flood waters surging along a street and sweeping away cars and debris. Six people, including a firefighter team, were swept away by floodwaters while trying to move vehicles.

Rescuers, using a rope, were seen lifting a man to safety from the inundated underpass. Elsewhere, another person was pulled out of the floodwaters by people who dangled a twisted sheet from the window of a building. The symbol of Urfa, Balikligol, overflowed, and the city's center was severely affected.

Several people were evacuated from camps where earthquake survivors were sheltering in tents. Patients were also evacuated from the intensive care unit of a hospital in Sanliurfa. Despite severe flooding, people tried to evacuate their homes on their own. Many neighborhoods are still inaccessible, and the continuing rain is affecting the city negatively.

The raging waters caused part of a highway in the region to collapse.

Turkey’s disaster management agency said more than a dozen professional divers were involved in the rescue efforts in each of the two provinces.