Snow, blizzards bring life to a halt across Turkey

ISTANBUL

Extreme winter conditions have brought life to a standstill across Turkey, while a series of avalanches blocked a highway between the eastern provinces of Tunceli and Erzincan Jan. 27, stranding dozens of vehicles on the road.

Two cargo trucks and a passenger bus were also partially buried underneath avalanches on the Tunceli-Erzincan highway.

Meanwhile, a bus rolled over in the central province of Afyonkarahisar due to rough road conditions, killing one passenger and injuring 35 at around 08.00 a.m. Jan. 27 in the district of Emirdağ.

Six of the wounded passengers were in critical condition, according to reports.

A dry cargo ship flying a Moldovan flag and destined for Bulgaria’s port city of Varna also ran ashore six miles off the coast of Istanbul’s Kilyos district at 05.43 a.m. The ship “Rona” had set off from the northwest province of İzmit with an empty load, reports indicate.

Meteorology officials have warned that snowfall and blizzards are highly likely to continue uninterrupted until Feb. 7, while Istanbul Governor’s Office cautioned residents against using their private vehicles on the road, urging them to use public transportation instead.

Compiled from the Anatolia news agency, the Doğan news agency and the İhlas news agency stories by the Daily News staff in Istanbul.