Heavy snowfall in Turkey cuts off access to 552 residential areas in 4 cities

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Heavy snowfall in Turkey has cut off access to 552 residential areas in Turkey's eastern provinces of Van, Muş, Hakkari and Bitlis.

According to a statement released by the Van Metropolitan Municipality, it is currently not possible to access 192 rural neighborhoods in Van province due to snowfall and blizzards. The teams are reportedly still working to open the roads and to plow the snow on roads and pavements.

The Hakkari Provincial Special Administration has also indicated that the roads leading to 285 villages and hamlets in Hakkari have been closed due to the unfavorable weather conditions. The teams have started working to open the roads and to plow the show on streets and avenues.

In Bitlis, Ümit Kurtkan, the Director of Road and Transportation Services of the Provincial Special Administration, has stated that they currently do not have access to 49 residential areas across the province. The works to open the closed roads are underway, according to Kurtkan.

In Muş, where it has been sporadically snowing over the past week, unfavorable weather conditions have cut off access to 26 villages in city center and districts. Secretary General of the Provincial Special Administration Şeyhmus Yentür has said that the weather conditions disrupt daily life in Muş, adding that they aim to access all residential areas today.

On the other hand, according to a recent statement released by the Directorate General of Meteorology, an intense snowfall is expected in Turkey's Eastern Anatolian region starting from this Wednesday (January 19). While a slight increase in temperatures is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, the temperatures will reportedly still be below seasonal normals. (TP/SD)