Floods hit earthquake disaster zone in Turkey, killing at least a dozen

At least a dozen have died after floods caused by torrential rain hit two Turkish border provinces already devastated by last month’s earthquake.

Floodwater carried away cars and debris and inundated the basement and ground floors of some buildings, turning roads into rivers in central Sanliurfa.

Rescuers found the bodies of five Syrian nationals inside a flooded basement, and heavy rain also flooded the intensive care unit at Sanliurfa’s Eyyübiye Training and Research Hospital.

Schools were closed due to the rain, which is expected to continue.

In Adiyaman province, where surging waters swept away a converted shipping container sheltering a family of earthquake survivors.

The provinces were hit by 6 February earthquakes that killed more than 52,000 people – the vast majority in Turkey and the remainder across the border in Syria.

Thousands of survivors have been living in tents and container houses awaiting help from authorities.

Turkey’s disaster management agency said more than a dozen professional divers were involved in the rescue efforts in each of the two provinces.

The floods have generated more criticism of Turkey’s government for the state of national infrastructure. More than 200,000 buildings in Turkey either collapsed or were severely damaged in the quakes.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report