Turkey flooding leaves at least 9 dead

Flash flooding and mudslides have claimed at least nine lives in northern Turkey. Meteorologists say that the region may not be out of the woods just yet.

Heavy rain in Turkey triggered flash floods and mudslides in the north of the country on Thursday.

At least nine people have died following floods which struck along the Black Sea coastline, according to the country's disaster authority.

At least three cities have been affected, with emergency agencies having to evacuate 600 people from the Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop provinces. Homes, bridges, and cars were swept away, prompting a rapid response from emergency services.

Emergency services scrambled

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management agency (AFAD) deployed upwards of 1,500 personnel along with around 20 helicopters to assist with rescue operations.

The country's disaster agency said the bodies of victims had been recovered in Kastamonu and Sinop.

Local broadcaster NTV showed dramatic footage of a building collapsing along a river in Kastamonu.

In Bartin province, at least 13 people were injured when a bridge collapsed. Army helicopters helped airlift dozens of trapped residents to safety.

Many of the affected areas have been left without power and infrastructure has been damaged. The region is prone to heavy rain at this time of the year.

Just last month, at least six people were killed in the coastal province of Rize which is also along the Black Sea.

Floods and fires, a dual challenge

Meteorologists are predicting there will be more bad weather arriving ahead of the weekend. The deluge has come in the wake of what the government says are the worst fires in the country's history.

Wildfires had been tearing through southwest Turkey laying waste to vast tracts of land. At least eight people were killed in the fires since July 28. Firefighters managed to bring some 275 fires under control.

Antalya and Mugla were some of the worst hit cities, although 53 of Turkey's provinces were affected.

Rescue crews searched through the muddy streets of Kastamonu looking for people wounded in the flash floods

Kastamonu, Turkey An aerial view shows a destroyed in a flooded area following heavy rainfalls near