Death toll rises to 70 and over 40 missing as catastrophic flood ravages Turkey

Officials announced that more remains were retrieved from the site of catastrophic flooding that ravaged a town in northern Turkey on Monday, raising the total death toll to 70. On Aug. 4, torrential rains pounded the country's northwestern Black Sea provinces, creating floods that destroyed homes and bridges, swept away cars, and cut off access to a number of routes.

60 killed in Kastamonu, 9 in Sinop, 1 in Bartin

At least 60 people were killed in Kastamonu province, nine in Sinop, and one in Bartin, according to the Turkish disaster management organisation AFAD. On Monday, emergency crews continued their search for at least 47 people who had been reported missing in Kastamonu and Sinop. Approximately 8,000 people are working in the rescue and support activities, which is accompanied by 20 rescue dogs.

During the floods, about 2,400 people were evacuated across the region, with dozens of them being airlifted to safety. Many are staying in student dorms for the time being.  According to AFAD, some 40 communities are still without power. Turkey has been hit by a scorching heatwave, and personnel in the south were battling wildfires that swept across the country's Mediterranean coast. According to climate experts, there is no evidence that climate change produced by the combustion of coal, oil, and natural gas is producing more extreme events such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods, and storms as the world warms.

On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to Kastamonu and attended a burial for flood victims. He said after conducting prayers that they can't bring back the citizens they have lost. However, the state has the means and power to compensate those who have lost loved ones. Erdogan's government has been chastised for its handling of recent natural disasters in Turkey.

Turkey's calamity struck just days after UN's climate change "warning"

Some people were rescued by helicopter from rooftops in the flooded neighbourhoods, while others were saved by boat. Turkey's newest calamity struck just days after a major UN report warned of increased catastrophic weather occurrences as a result of human-caused global warming. This summer has seen flash floods and extreme heatwaves across most of Europe.

(Inputs from AP News)

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