Five people lose their lives, one person still missing in flood in Kırklareli

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Search and rescue efforts for a missing person continue into the third day in the aftermath of the flood in the town of İğneada, located in the Demirköy district of Kırklareli.

In the wooded area where forestry activities were taking place, logs and trees uprooted from their roots were carried by the floodwaters to a facility where bungalow houses were situated, causing these houses to be swept away.

Rescue teams were dispatched to initiate search and rescue operations when no news was received from 12 people who were staying at the facility after the flood.

Six of those stranded in the forest were rescued yesterday.

In the area, dead bodies of 5 people have been found, two the day before yesterday and three yesterday.

The owner of the bungalow houses, found to have constructed them without proper permits, has been placed under arrest on charges of "causing the deaths of multiple individuals through negligence."

Throughout the night, thermal cameras were used to search for the still missing person, with the participation of teams from AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority), Coast Guard Command, Gendarmerie Search and Rescue, firefighters, National Medical Rescue teams, Police Search and Rescue Teams, and military units. Search operations are ongoing as of this morning.

Teams are inspecting the surroundings and underneath the piles of logs and trees carried by the flood in the area, according to the report by Anadolu Agency. Heavy machinery is also being used to remove the accumulated logs, timber, and tree debris in the area, where more than 900 people are working in the 5-kilometer-long valley. Local residents from the forest villages are assisting in clearing the logs and timber carried by the flood. Search and rescue dogs are also participating in the search operations in the region.

The torrential rainfall that began in the early hours two days ago in the Demirköy district of Kırklareli caused flooding and river overflow in the İğneada town.

According to the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) data, the region experienced the heaviest rainfall in the last 500 years. It was determined that 196 kilograms of rainfall per square meter fell in 24 hours. (AS/PE)