Ministers Soylu, Kurum and Karaismailoğlu visit areas hit by flood and landslide in Rize
Concerning the flood and landslide disaster in Rize, Minister of Interior Affairs Süleyman Soylu said, “We have reached a total of four people who unfortunately passed away. We think that there are two other people who are trapped under the debris and another is missing. We have been carrying out search and rescue activities in an effort to reach them.”
Minister of Interior Affairs Süleyman Soylu, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu and Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum visited the flood and landslide hit areas of the Black Sea province of Rize.
Ministers attended a briefing held at the AFAD Disaster and Emergency Management Center at the region and then visited Güneysu province and Muradiye district.
Expressing their wishes for quick recovery, Ministers received information about activities carried out by teams at the areas hit by the disaster.
Ministers had a meeting with the search and rescue team leaders who have been working at the debris of a building which was located in Orta neighborhood of Muradiye district and collapsed due to the landslide.
Minister Soylu told journalists that a similar incident took place in the same region during the same time last year and expressed his wish for quick recovery.
Soylu announced to journalists that a heavy rainfall that took place between 15:00 and 16:00 in the area and 220 kilograms of rain fell per square meter for seven hours.
Rainfall affected especially Güneysu and Muradiye as well as Çayeli and Kalkandere districts said Soylu adding that, “Approximately 53 village roads and their side connections are closed due to the disaster. Our teams are working in an effort to open these roads.”
Noting that there is electricity cut in Güneysu and one of its villages and there is no problem about water services in the area, Soylu stated that damages inflicted on the energy system will be repaired in a very short period of time.
*"With the will of Allah, we are hopeful that we will rescue them alive”*
Stressing that search and rescue activities continue in Muradiye, Minister Soylu said:
"It was reported that there were three people who were trapped under the debris in Muradiye. We have reached the dead body of 75 year old Hacere.
May Allah rest her soul in peace. We are informed that there were two people in front of the collapsed house and they were trapped between the house and cars due to the landslide. Our teams are working in an effort to reach and rescue them. We are hopeful that we will save them alive.”
Soylu, "It has been informed that a person is missing in Güneysu but neither search and rescue teams nor Governor’s Office confirmed this information. Due to this reason, search and rescue activities continue in the area. Coast guard teams and rescue helicopters will join these activities in the morning."
Minister Soylu said, “We have reached a total of four people who unfortunately passed away. We think that there are two other people who are trapped under the debris and another is missing. We have been carrying out search and rescue activities in an effort to reach them.”
*AFAD will allocate 5 million liras aid to the area*
Minister Soylu stated that damage assessment activities will begin early in the morning adding that, “We have seen that approximately 20 small business places were damaged in Güneysu. We have seen that homes are damaged in the district. AFAD will allocate 5 million liras at first. After that we will take necessary steps after making a damage assessment and detecting closed roads.”
Soylu said that the Ministers will make a new assessment in the morning and decide required measures.
Reminding that the state had taken measures in the area in an effort to prevent damages before, Soylu went on to say:
“As a result of previous measures such as rehabilitation of rivers and water channels, we have prevented larger damages due to the flood but it is obvious that we have to do more in the region. We wish for a quick recovery. I want to express that our people are not alone and we are at their service.”
