Combating snowfall in Istanbul: Thousands of personnel deployed to the field

With the increase in snowfall across Istanbul, municipal units have been on high alert since the morning hours. Hundreds of vehicles and over ten thousand personnel are working non-stop to keep roads open on main arteries and in residential areas throughout the city.

Snow clearing and salting operations are being carried out continuously across a road network of more than 4 thousand kilometers. 16 different municipal units have participated in these efforts, which are being led by the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM). A total of 11 thousand 242 personnel and 3 thousand 492 vehicles and construction machines have been deployed in the field.

In the municipality's statement, it was noted that 592 salt boxes were placed at critical points as part of winter preparations, and efforts are being made to prevent icing with solution systems. It was also stated that there is a stock of 370 thousand tons of salt, and 170 tractors are kept ready to provide support on village roads. Crane and rescue teams have also been assigned for emergency cases.

While the risk of icing is expected to increase during the night hours, meteorological assessments have warned of strong local snow showers, particularly for the Bosphorus area and the Anatolian side. It was reported that the risk of frost will continue in the coming days as air temperatures drop below 2 degrees. Officials stated that the snowfall is expected to gradually lose its effect starting from Monday evening.

Since the night of January 17, when the snowfall began, a total of 2 thousand 461 tons of salt and three tons of solution have been used, primarily on main arteries, as well as on sidewalks, metro entrances, overpasses, underpasses, and bus stops. While 45 reports reached the authorities, the majority of these consisted of requests for road and street salting, which were addressed in a short time. Traffic density in the city reached up to 63 percent during the day, but there were no disruptions in public transportation.

While intense efforts are being made to keep the roads open, a security shuttle bus skidded and overturned on the Northern Marmara Highway Başakşehir connection road in the early morning hours; eight people were slightly injured in the accident. The injured were transferred to healthcare facilities with the intervention of teams arriving at the scene.

During these days when cold weather and snowfall are effective, special measures have also been implemented for citizens living on the streets. As part of the winter services that have been ongoing since November 11, homeless individuals are being hosted in municipal facilities or contracted hotels after health checks. As of now, shelter is being provided to 552 homeless people, and a total of 1,631 people have benefited from this opportunity since the beginning of the season.

In addition, Veterinary Services continue their treatment and care activities for stray animals without interruption. Support efforts are being carried out all over the city for both people and our animal friends during the cold weather.

News Source: 12punto