Five people were drowned and one went missing when dam gates on Botan River in Turkey's southeastern province of Siirt were suddenly opened, a local newspaper reported on Monday. Many people were picnicking in the Botan's empty reservoir Sunday afternoon when the gates of the dam were opened suddenly. The rushing torrents flooded the whole reservoir immediately, leaving the picnickers little time to escape.
Siirt Governor Mustafa Pala confirmed that the bodies of five people were recovered early on Monday, but one person remains missing.
In a statement late on Sunday, Limak, the company operating the dam, rejected any responsibility for the incident, saying alarms were issued to warn of the gates' opening.
A similar incident happened in 2011 when the reservoir discharged water suddenly, drowning three people from the same family.