Foreign Ministry sends condolences to families of Istanbul storm victims
The Foreign Ministry has expressed its condolences to the families of the victims of the storm that hit Istanbul on Monday, leaving four people dead.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating storm that hit Istanbul. Heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and wishes for the swift recovery to the injured. Greece expresses its solidarity with the people and government of Turkey,” the ministry tweeted.
A powerful storm pounded Istanbul and other parts of Turkey on Monday, killing at least four people and causing havoc in the city, reports said.
The victims included a woman who died in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, where strong gusts tore off part of a roof and it landed on her and her child, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The child survived with injuries.
The Istanbul governor’s office said three other people were killed in the city, including a foreign national. Nineteen people were injured, including three people who were in serious condition, it said.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating storm that hit #Istanbul. Heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and wishes for the swift recovery to the injured. #Greece expresses its solidarity w/the people & government of Turkey@MFATurkey
— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) November 29, 2021
The gusts also knocked down a clock tower, television images showed. The winds blew away 33 roofs, uprooted 192 trees, knocked down 52 traffic lights and road signs and damaged 12 cars, according to the Istanbul municipality.
The Bosporus, the narrow waterway that bisects the city, was closed to maritime traffic and ferry services were canceled.
At least six Turkish Airlines flights scheduled to land in Istanbul were diverted to the cities of Ankara and Izmir, an airline spokesman said.
The strong winds also forced authorities to cancel ferry services between the coastal resorts of Bodrum and Datca, the private DHA news agency reported. [AP, Kathimerini]
