Two ASKI workers dead by methane gas
TWO ASKI (Aydin water/sewerage dept) workers have died after they were overcome by methane gas poisoning in a sewer in Kusadasi.
The two were part of a four-man team who entered the sewer in Ataturk Bulvari for cleaning purposes.
But İsmail Tavas (39) and Hasan Fıstıkçı (50) got into difficulties and collapsed as a result of inhaling what is believed to methane gas.
Firefighters were called immediately and all four were rescued, but Mr Tavas and Mr Fıstıkçı were found to have succumbed to what is believed to be methane gas poisoning.
It merged that Mr Fıstıkçılar survived a similar incident in Kusadasi last year in which 3 of his colleagues died.
Heatwave scorches on
ALREADY caught in the middle of a major heatwave and suffering the hottest week of the summer, Turkey will once again be scorched in August, possibly even leading to nationwide drought.
Between temperatures in Istanbul reaching 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and the 60-65 percent humidity, the heat index (the perceived equivalent temperature) has reached 45-48 C (113-118 F). The scorching temperatures are exacerbated even further due to the wind conditions.
Istanbul Technical University Meteorological Engineering Department Faculty Prof. Orhan Şen warns that the high temperatures felt throughout Turkey at the moment will get even worse in August.
“As of next week, a new heatwave coming from the Arabian Peninsula will bring temperatures even higher than the ones we have now,” says Şen. “Turkey will be hot in August as well.”
Pointing out that there has been no rainfall for 15 days, Şen adds that while the nation’s water reserves aren’t currently at risk, they might pose a risk in the future if high temperatures continue.
Şen attributes the high temperatures and unusual meteorological occurrences on two factors: global warming and the beginning of the atmospheric phenomenon known as ‘El Nino’ over in the Pacific Ocean.
Turkey’s tourism income tumbles
TURKEY’S tourism income fell by 13.8 percent in the second quarter of the year, down $7.73 billion compared to the same period last year.
Rising security concerns due to the possibility of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacks as well as other geopolitical risks, like the contracted Russian economy, have played a role in the decrease, according to sector representatives.
While foreign tourists spent an average of $911 per capita in the first quarter of the year, this figure decreased to $719 in the second quarter, according to Turkish Statistics Institute TÜİK’s data.
The tourism income was around $4.87 billion in the first quarter of the year, a 1.3 percent increase from the same period of 2014.
The number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey decreased to 1.45 million in the first half of the year from 2 million in the same period of 2014.
The number of foreign tourists from France also decreased by 22.3 percent, with the number from Italy decreasing by 19.5 percent, in the first half of the year, compared to the previous year.
The highest number of tourists came from Germany in the first half of the year, with around 2 million, followed by Russia, with 1.45 million, and Britain, with around 950,000, according to the ministry’s data.
The head of the Hoteliers Association (TUROB), Timur Bayındır, told Reuters in May that the decrease in Russian tourists was expected to continue in the coming months, while Western tourists were concerned by ISIL in the region.
No electricity, gas prices hike in August
THE TURKISH Energy Ministry has no plans to increase electricity and natural gas prices in August.
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said: “Despite a seven to eight percent increase in natural gas purchase prices due to the appreciating US dollar, the ministry will not raise the natural gas prices.
“Both electricity and natural gas prices, which are in effect for June, will remain the same in August.”