14 November 2017•Update: 15 November 2017
ANTALYA, Turkey
At least 25 people were injured when a violent storm struck southern Turkey’s Antalya province on Monday, according to a provincial governor.
Wind speeds in the Mediterranean region reached 60 kilometers per hour (36 mph), downing electrical poles and trees, the local meteorology directorate said on Tuesday.
Storms and heavy rainfall devastated land, greenhouses, and cars close to the shoreline when a waterspout merged with the storm in the Kas, Finike, Demre and Kumluca districts.
The storm blew away roofs along the and demolished the walls of buildings and gardens.
A 20-ton truck was overturned and a car was swept away by a river flowing through the Turuncova neighborhood of Finike district.
Twenty-three people were hospitalized but later discharged, while two more are still receiving treatment at Finike State Hospital.
Five of these were injured in Finike, while two others were hurt in Kas. Eighteen people in Demre were injured by falling trees and debris from damaged roofs, provincial governor Munir Karaloglu said.
Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) are still working in the area, assessing the extent of the damage.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently on official business in Kuwait, wished a speedy recovery to those injured in a phone call, Karaloglu added.
Halil Kocaer, Mayor of Kas, said: “A whirlwind, which came out between Meis Island and Kas [district] took hold of Cukurbag Peninsula when it merged with heavy rainfall.”
According to a local meteorology official, the estimated speed of the whirlwind reached 200km per hour.
Reporting by Huseyin Kanber, Orhan and Hamit by Casu Dikme
