By Canadian Press

Floods that hit northern Turkey leave 9 dead, 1 missing

Aug 12, 2021 | 6:31 AM

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities said Thursday the death toll from the severe floods and mudslides that struck the north of the country has risen to nine. One other person is reported missing.

The floods battered the Black Sea coastal provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu, Sinop and Samsun on Wednesday, demolishing homes and bridges and sweeping away cars. Helicopters scrambled to rescue people stranded on rooftops.

As floodwaters began to recede across the affected regions in Turkey’s north, a statement from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD, said rescuers had recovered six bodies in Kastamonu.

Later Thursday, three more bodies were found in swamped cars or homes in the worst-hit town of Bozkurt, in Kastamonu, raising the toll to nine. An 80-year-old woman was reported missing in Bartin province.

The disaster struck as firefighters in southwest Turkey worked to extinguish a wildfire in Mugla province, an area popular with tourists that runs along the Aegean Sea. The blaze, which was brought under control on Thursday, was one of more than 200 wildfires in Turkey since July 28. At least eight people and countless animals died and thousands of residents have had to flee fierce blazes.

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Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms. Such calamities are expected to happen more frequently on our warming planet.

Flooding inundated much of Bozkurt. One building collapsed and a second building was damaged in the town, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. In Bartin province, at least 13 people were injured when a section of a bridge caved in.

Turkish Armed Forces’ helicopters lifted 80 people to safety in the region, the military said.

Many of the affected areas were left without power and village roads were blocked.

Turkey’s Black Sea region is frequently struck by severe rains and flash flooding.

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The Associated Press