From China to Turkey, floods caused by heavy rainfall lead to death and devastation

Emergency workers battled to relieve flood-hit areas of Turkey's Black Sea region on Friday, as the death toll rose to 27 in the second natural disaster to strike the country this month. The floods, among the worst Turkey has experienced, brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires that raged through southern coastal regions for two weeks had been brought under control. 

(With Reuters input; Pic: Reuters)

"This is the worst flood disaster I have seen," Interior Minister of Turkey Suleyman Soylu told reporters, after surveying damage which extended across the provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop. More than 1,700 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas, some with the help of helicopters and boats, Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said. Turkey's meteorology authority said further heavy rain was expected in the central and eastern Black Sea region and warned of the risk of further floods.

(With Reuters input; Pic: Reuters)

At least 21 people were dead and four others remain missing as a result of flooding in Sui county of Hubei province in central China, local authorities said on Friday (August 13)."According to the preliminary investigation, due to heavy rains in Liulin township of Sui county, over 8,000 people tuned out to be in the disaster area, 21 people died and four are unaccounted for," the statement read.

(With ANI inputs; Pic: Reuters)

As of 9 am local Chinese time, 530 mm of rainfall were recorded in Liulin, with floodwaters rising to up to 5 meters (16 feet). Several other cities such as Xiangyang, Suizhou, Xiaogan have also been hit by floods in the past two days, with 286,000 people affected and over 7,000 evacuated. On August 12, the Chinese emergency ministry declared "red alerts" in five cities of Hubei province. 

(With ANI input; Pic:IANS)

Heavy rain lased western and southwestern Japan on Friday (August 13), leaving one person dead and at least two others missing, while the country's weather agency issued warnings for more downpours. Japan on Friday issued the most serious level 5 risk alerts in the western prefecture of Hiroshima, citing unprecedented rains in the region and imminent risk of floods and other disasters. Japan Meteorological Agency issued the warning, adding in a statement that the rain front could stay over the country for about a week.

(With Agency input; Pic: Reuters)