07.05.2026 19:10
Wooden and iron suspension bridges on Pazarsuyu Stream, which separate the Kovanlık group road from Yeşilhisar village in the Bulancak district of Giresun, threaten life safety. Citizens who have to use the unstable bridge despite the stream's rising water level, especially during rains, come face to face with death almost every time they cross.
The suspension bridge over the Pazarsuyu Stream in the Bulancak district of Giresun, made of rotting planks that have not been replaced for years, has become even more dangerous due to floodwaters.
“I FELL AND GOT INJURED. I SURVIVED DROWNING BECAUSE THE FLOODWATER WASN'T HIGH”
Village residents with no alternative route stated they are forced to use the bridge. Mecit Baş, a resident of Yeşilhisar village, said he has endured the same ordeal for as long as he can remember, noting the bridge poses a life-threatening risk. Baş said, 'We have been struggling with this bridge for years with no results. I have a disabled child, and we face great difficulty going to and from school. I myself fell from this bridge and got injured. I survived drowning because the floodwater wasn't high. We even had to carry my mother's coffin across the stream because we couldn't get it over the bridge.'
“OUR HOUSE BURNED DOWN, THE FIRE BRIGADE COULDN'T COME”
Emphasizing that the bridge becomes even more perilous during flood seasons, Baş said, 'We cross using rotten planks on steel cables. When the stream overflows, we are completely stranded. We can neither reach the village nor go to the town center for basic necessities. If we are on the road when the floodwaters rise, we can't get home; if we are home, we can't reach the road. A fire broke out in our house, it burned down, and the fire brigade couldn't come.'
“SOME HAVE FALLEN, SOME HAVE DIED”
Stating that other citizens living in the area face the same issue, Baş said, 'Our neighbors and relatives on the same road in our village also use suspension wooden bridges they built with their own means. There is even a disabled citizen who is forced to use the bridge, and falls from the bridge occur frequently. In the past, there have even been fatalities on this same bridge. However, as residents, we continue to use it despite the floodwaters and we want our wooden suspension bridges, which are at constant risk of collapse, to be built. We don't need concrete bridges for cars; just pedestrian bridges that ensure our safety would be enough.'