The death toll from floods in Turkey's Black Sea region has risen to 51, authorities said on Saturday, APA reports citing Anadolu Agency.
Floods caused by heavy rains hit the Black Sea region in the north of the country on Wednesday, leaving 43 people dead in the province of Kastamonu, Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) statement said.
Seven others died in the Sinop province and one person in Bartin province.
Arife Unal, an 85-year-old woman, drowned and was swept away during the floods in Bartin. Four days of search and rescue efforts ended after finding her lifeless body 600 meters (1,970 feet) from her house.
According to a statement by the governor's office in Bartin, 13 bridges were destroyed in the flood, while at least 45 buildings were heavily damaged.
Rescue and relief operations continue in the flood-hit areas, the statement added.
Some 918 workers in Bartin, 3,547 in Kastamonu, and 1,910 in Sinop are conducting relief work in the affected areas, according to AFAD.
A total of 341 people in Bartin, 1,580 in Kastamonu, and 533 in Sinop were evacuated to safe areas by helicopters and boats, the disaster management agency said.
Meanwhile, 223 volunteers, nine catering trucks, and 54 vehicles sent by the Turkish Red Crescent to the region are working on the ground.
*** 14:52
Families of those missing after Turkey's worst floods in years anxiously watched rescue teams search buildings on Saturday, fearing the death toll from the raging torrents could rise further, APA reports citing Reuters.
At least 44 people have died from the floods in the northern Black Sea region, the second natural disaster to strike the country this month.
Drone footage by Reuters showed massive damage in the flood-hit Black Sea town of Bozkurt, where emergency workers were searching demolished buildings.
Thirty-six people died as a result of floods in the Kastamonu district which includes Bozkurt, and another seven people died in Sinop and one in Bartin, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said.
In one collapsed building along the banks of the swollen river, 10 people were still believed buried. The rapid floodwaters appeared to have swept away the foundations of several other apartment blocks.
Relatives of the missing, desperate for news, were nearby.
The floods brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires that raged through southern coastal regions for two weeks had been brought under control.
About 45 cm (18 inches) of rain fell in less than three days in one village near Bozkurt.
*** 10:35
The death toll from floods in Turkey's Black Sea region has risen to 40, authorities said on early Saturday, APA reports citing Anadolu Agency.
Floods caused by heavy rains hit the Black Sea region in the north of the country on Wednesday, leaving 34 people dead in the province of Kastamonu, a Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) statement said.
Six others died in the Sinop province, while search efforts are ongoing for one individual in the Bartin province.
Rescue and relief operations continue in the flood-hit areas, the statement added.
Nearly 950 workers in Bartin, 2,807 in Kastamonu, and 1,693 in Sinop are conducting relief work in the affected areas, according to an AFAD statement.
A total of 341 people in Bartin, 1,380 in Kastamonu, and 526 in Sinop were evacuated to safe areas by helicopters and boats, the statement added.
Meanwhile, 223 volunteers, nine catering trucks, and 54 vehicles sent by the Turkish Red Crescent to the region are working on the ground.
*** 03:00
Visiting areas of the country’s Black Sea region hardest hit by floods, as the death toll rose to 38, Turkey’s president on Friday tried to reassure locals affected by the high waters, APA reports quoting Anadolu Agency.
“The state will do its best as quickly as possible, and hopefully we will rise from the ashes again.” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Bozkurt, Kastamonu, the province that has seen the most fatalities since heavy rains began on Wednesday.
The president added that after doing field assessment together with Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, and Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum, they will take necessary steps.
Rescue and relief operations are continuing in the flood-hit areas.
Floods caused by heavy rains left 32 people dead in the Kastamonu province, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, announcing the revised death toll.
Six others died in the Sinop province, while one is missing in the Bartin province.
Erdogan also underlined that a total of 4,760 personnel, 19 helicopters, one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), 66 ambulances, 41 rescue teams, 630 service vehicles, 437 construction machines, and a great deal of equipment are operating in the field.
"We have taken all emergency measures (in the flood area), from credit support to tax deferrals," he said.
Erdogan went on to say that 120 teams across three provinces are doing damage assessment, adding that state institutions "are working without a break" in the region affected by the disaster.
"We can’t bring back our people who lost their lives, but our state has the power, potential, and determination to compensate for any loss other than that," he added.
23:00
The death toll from floods in Turkey's Black Sea region has risen to 38, authorities said on Friday, APA reports quoting Turkish media.
Floods caused by heavy rains hit the northern Black Sea region on Wednesday, leaving 25 people dead in the Kastamonu province, a Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) statement said.
Two others died in the Sinop province, while one is missing in the Bartin province.
Rescue and relief operations are continuing in the flood-hit areas, the statement added.
It said 112 villages in Kastamonu and 86 villages in Sinop have been left without electricity, adding that a fund of 20 million Turkish liras ($2.4 million) has been allocated for the region.
Over 895 workers in Bartin, 2,333 in Kastamonu, and 1,532 in Sinop are carrying out relief work in the affected areas, according to a previous AFAD statement.
A total of 323 people in Bartin, 925 in Kastamonu, and 472 in Sinop were evacuated to safe areas by helicopters and boats, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.
He said 220 volunteers, nine catering trucks, and 42 vehicles sent by the Turkish Red Crescent to the region are working on the ground.
The volunteers, non-governmental and humanitarian organizations in the region continue their work in coordination with AFAD and other relevant public institutions, Altun said and appreciated their efforts.
Also, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Kastamonu's Bozkurt, the worst-hit flood area, on Friday.
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