The absence of anyone in the houses prevented a tragedy!

In the landslide that occurred on Monday, October 21, in Derecik village of the Madenli town in Rize's Çayeli district, two 2-story buildings were lost in mud. While cleanup efforts in the region continue without slowing down following the landslide, excavation work is being carried out by the Rize Provincial Special Administration and State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) teams in the stream where a pond formed due to the landslide. The mud and soil removed from the stream are being loaded onto trucks by the Çayeli Municipality and dumped in the designated landfill area.

“THE HOUSES HAVE BEEN SWALLOWED BY MUD”

Derecik Village Headman Ramazan Küçüksarı pointed out that there was only property damage in the region thanks to the citizens complying with the evacuation order issued in 2021, stating, “We faced a major disaster here. Thank God there was no one in the houses. If there had been someone in the houses, we would be in the middle of an intensive search right now. Thank God we only had property damage, not loss of life. This makes us happy. On the other hand, AFAD had already issued an evacuation order for these houses in 2021. Thank God our citizens followed the rules. We are actually experiencing the happiness of this. Because a huge mountain came down here, the houses have practically been swallowed by mud,” he said.

“THIS AREA IS IN A FRIGHTENING STATE”

Stating that their priority is to clear the stream bed and return the water flow to normal, Küçüksarı said, “Our biggest fear right now is being able to open the stream. Our state officials are fully here right now. The State Hydraulic Works and the Special Administration are all working in the region, but weather conditions are having a negative impact. It rained at night too. This area is in a frightening state. That is why they have taken a short break for now. Hopefully, our efforts to open the road will continue in the coming hours.”

News Source: 12punto