Turkey floods: Death toll near Black Sea rises to 27
A huge search and rescue operation is under way in northern Turkey after flash floods along the Black Sea coast killed at least 27 people. Kastamonu province is the worst-hit area, accounting for 25 of the deaths. Two others died in Sinop on the coast. The floods caused some buildings to collapse, smashed several bridges, clogged some streets with wrecked cars and cut power supplies.
This month Turkey has also had to battle huge wildfires in the south. Those fires - which are now under control - forced thousands of locals and tourists to flee Marmaris and surrounding areas. Eight people died and more than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of vegetation was devastated. In the flooded area near the Black Sea, helicopters plucked some people from rooftops; others were rescued by boat. Turkey's latest disaster came in the week that a major UN report warned of more extreme weather events because of human-induced global warming. Flash floods and severe heat waves are afflicting much of Europe this summer. In neighboring Greece, the authorities say widespread wildfires are more controllable now since much-needed rainfall came in the past 48 hours.
