After severe rains slammed Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria on September 5, causing flash flooding, at least seven people were murdered and others are still missing.
In Turkey, two individuals were killed as flash floods raced through the streets of Arnavutköy, Başakşehir, and Küçükçekmece, submerging numerous people, according to Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya.
Some locals were left stuck, forced to stand on top of their vehicles as the streets transformed into big lakes, according to video footage published online.
The country's health minister, Fahrettin Koca, claimed 12 people were injured as a result of the floods, while the Istanbul Municipality reported the severe rain damaged roughly 1,754 dwellings and offices.
According to authorities, the water also briefly shut down certain metro stations, a hospital, and major roadways.
According to officials, more than 2,000 emergency professionals were sent overnight to assist residents who were stuck in their homes, businesses, and automobiles as a result of the floods.
Mr. Yerlikaya said two people were murdered and four others were missing as flash floods rushed through a campground in Kirklareli region, near the border with Bulgaria.
He estimated that 12 individuals were on vacation in the region at the time of the flash floods.
Mr. Yerlikaya subsequently wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that search teams are still looking for the missing people and expressed his sympathies to those who died.
In other news, one person was murdered and at least five others were reported missing in Greece as a result of Tuesday's flash floods, which saw the central town of Volos, the surrounding mountain area of Pilion, and the tourist island of Skiathos receive record quantities of rain in just hours.
The meteorological office in Greece said that a hamlet in the Pilion area received 75.4 cm (almost 30 inches) of rain late Tuesday, shattering records for the greatest amount recorded since at least 2006.
It was mentioned that the average annual rainfall in the Athens region is roughly 40 centimeters (15.75 inches).
Video video circulated online shows streets fully waterlogged as inhabitants struggle to clear water from their houses. Because of the floods, several locals were forced to navigate the streets on inflatable boats.
Residents in Volos defied warnings not to drive, causing the city's mayor to wade through flooded streets pleading with vehicles to return home.
According to Greece's fire department, a 51-year-old Albanian national died after a wall crumbled and crashed on him. He was identified by local media as a cattle breeder attempting to reach his cows.
A 42-year-old Greek man who allegedly exited his car to assist push his 16-year-old son to safety when floodwaters flooded in, according to a fire department spokeswoman, Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, is among the missing.
“The boy was found in the car,” he said. “We’re still looking for the dad.”
The flash flooding and heavy rain in Greece, which are anticipated to subside on Wednesday, come on the heels of wildfires that ravaged the country in recent weeks, killing 20 people.
According to local accounts, two individuals died in Bulgaria's seaside town of Tsarevo after it experienced unprecedented rainfall, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
The heavy rains, which lasted more than 24 hours, overflowed rivers, inundated neighborhoods, and shut down roadways, forcing inhabitants to flee.
According to local accounts, a state of emergency was subsequently issued in Tsarevo, and people were advised not to drink tap water due to pollution from floods.
Meanwhile, rescue workers are still looking for at least three persons who have gone missing in the region.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov convened a crisis meeting with authorities. He told reporters at a news conference after the meeting that the victims were a man and a woman.
On Monday, flash flooding struck Spain as well, killing at least three people and leaving three more missing amid record-breaking rainfall.
The torrential rains transformed roadways into mud rivers, wreaking havoc on cities like as Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Valencia, while other parts suffered heavy hail.
A young man was stuck in a lift that filled with water, while another male was locked inside his vehicle when it flooded, according to authorities.
A 50-year-old male was also discovered floating in a river near his house in Camarena by police, according to authorities.
