Pakistan condoles with Turkey over deadly Black Sea floods

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended its condolences to Turkey over recent deadly floods in the country’s Black Sea province of Giresun.

Pakistan’s Embassy in Ankara said in a statement that the people and government of Pakistan are deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives caused by floods in Giresun.

“The people & leadership of Pakistan are deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives caused by floods in Giresun, Black Sea region of Turkey. Our sincere condolences to the Turkish Government as well as to the bereaved families,” the Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara said on Twitter.

At least six people, including two law-enforcement officials, lost their lives and 12 were injured due to the heavy floods in the Black Sea region.

Eleven people have been reported missing, with a total of 944 personnel deployed in rescue efforts, according to officials. The floodwaters demolished 17 buildings and slightly damaged 361, dragging away vehicles caught in the drift.

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Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) announced that rescue teams had been dispatched to Giresun in the first minutes of the natural disaster.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to Giresun to oversee rescue efforts, said 153 people had been rescued from the floods. He said 98 villages in the region were cut off and 38 were without electricity. About 20 people were stranded in a wedding hall in Dereli.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at an event in Istanbul, vowed to help those affected by the floods. “As a state, we will quickly overcome the destruction and devastation here with God’s will,” Erdogan said.