Turkish soldiers and rescue teams search the area for a missing person after homes were destroyed during rain storms in the Igneada district of Kirklarel, on September 7, 2023. (Photo by Ozan Kose / AFP)
Istanbul: Rescuers on Thursday recovered the body of the last man reported missing in floods that hit Istanbul and northwestern Turkey this week, bringing the death toll to eight, officials said.
Torrential rains hit the northern stretches of Istanbul and parts of Kirklareli province on Tuesday, sweeping away shops and tourist bungalows.
Two people died in Istanbul. The toll in Kirklareli reached six when rescuers reached the body of the last person reported missing in the disaster, identified as Ahmet Baki Simsek.
The storms inundated Kirklareli's Black Sea coast town of Igneada, which housed tourists in 18 bungalows.
Deputy Interior Minister Munir Karaloglu said an investigation had been launched into safety condition at the tourist site.
Turkish officials issued an arrest warrant for the facility's owner on the grounds that the bungalows had been built illegally, the private NTV broadcaster reported.
