On Wednesday, most of Turkey was hit by heavy snowfall that closed more than 2,000 people on the southern highway, disrupted transport, and closed roads elsewhere. It is the worst winter in Turkey this week as it begins to snow and severe storms, which explains the problem for many people in 81 of the country’s provinces. Traffic disruption and difficulty reaching remote areas are among the major social issues. Thousands of people were stranded on the main road connecting the country’s southern provinces as heavy snow and tornadoes swept through the region late Tuesday and Wednesday. About 2,800 people trapped in their vehicles were left by the workers.
Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep Motorway :
People were trapped by motorists and passengers on the Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep Motorway, whose traffic was closed on Tuesday night. Gaziantep Governor Davut Gul told the Anadolu Agency that they put the sick first among the disabled and that each of them was taken to nearby hospitals. About 186 people in need of medical care have been transferred to hospitals. He said workers also distributed food to nearly 7,000 people on the highway where cars could not move so that they could not be easily seen and thick snowed.
Turkey, Cause of the disruption on the highway:
Governor Gul said workers helped 1,780 vehicles stuck on the road, but “at least 2,800 more people” remained standing. Social media was flooded with messages about people waiting for help for hours Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The governor said the main cause of the disruption on the highway was the large number of long trucks involved in accidents, which reduced travel speed. Work was underway on Wednesday morning to remove the broken trucks, but the ongoing storm created a challenge. The governor urged residents living near the area not to drive on Wednesday. Later, the Government banned drivers from leaving Gaziantep.
Temperatures were around minus 3 degrees:
A rare occurrence in the region, Gaziantep itself has been severely affected by snow and traffic congestion in the province, one of the country’s most densely populated areas. Temperatures were about 3 degrees Celsius (minus 26.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the region as early as Wednesday. Thick snow covered the city center, reaching 15 inches [50 cm] (19.7 inches) overnight. The driver, who was trapped on the highway, said he was leaving Gaziantep on Tuesday evening for Tarsus, a village in Mersin province. He said it took more than an hour to drive the distance before the traffic stopped. Later in the day, Turkish troops sent helicopters along the highway, delivering food to trapped passengers and drivers.
Read more: Turkey: Four killed & 180 injured in forest fires close Turkish Resorts
How useful was this article?
Please rate this article
Average rating / 5. Vote count:
