Death toll from northern Turkey floods rises to 62

Search and rescue operations continue in Black Sea regional towns

Rescuers search through the debris after flash floods in the town of Bozkurt in the district of Kastamonu, in the Black Sea region of Turkey, on August 15. AFP

Flash floods that have swept through towns in the Turkish Black Sea region have killed 62 people, authorities said on Sunday, as search and rescue efforts to find missing people continued.

The floods brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires had been brought under control after raging through southern coastal regions for two weeks.

Fifty-two people died as a result of floods in Kastamonu province, nine died in Sinop and one in Bartin, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate said.

There was extensive damage in the town of Bozkurt in Kastamonu province, footage from Reuters showed. Emergency workers were searching demolished buildings.

Torrents of water tossed dozens of cars and heaps of debris along streets, destroyed buildings and bridges, closed roads and cut off electricity to hundreds of villages.

More than 2,000 people were moved to safety from affected areas, some with the help of helicopters and boats, the disaster agency said.