Newlyweds on their honeymoon have been named as among six who died after the bungalows they were staying in at an illegal camping site were caught in deadly floods in Turkey.
The husband and wife pair named as Selman Bagislar, 27, a doctor, and Mihriban Bagislar, 25, a dietician, who were on their honeymoon were among the dead when their bungalow was swept away by the floods in Igneada, in Kirklareli, Turkey.
Two other victims were named as Rahile Simsek and Suna Duman after their bodies were found following the deadly flooding on 5th September, with another victim, named as Umit Solmaz, found the next day.
A sixth victim, named as Ahmet Baki Simsek, is still missing.
It has now emerged that the camping site was illegal and the owner did not have a licence to operate it, with two people immediately arrested following the tragic flooding.
The owner had reportedly declared the camping site as a farm when he registered the business with the authorities.
Business owner Bulent B. has also since been arrested in the Kesan district of Edirne Province and is being questioned over the 18 bungalows illegally built on the site.
He is suspected of having caused death by negligence.
The authorities had launched a huge search and rescue operation after there was no news from the 12 people staying at the camping site. Six people were rescued on 5th September, but the other six died.
The public prosecutor’s office has since launched an investigation, which is ongoing.
The area has been hit hard by flooding after significant rainfall.
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Munir Karaloglu, said that “there has never been such heavy rainfall in this region in a 24-hour period.”
He added that 196 kilogrammes of rain fell per square meter in a 24-hour and that search and rescue teams involving some 590 personnel and 165 vehicles had been deployed following the flooding.
