UPDATES DEATH TOLL; CHANGES DECK, LEDE, HEADLINE
By Gokhan Gucukluoglu, Dilek Sezen and Tugba Yardimci
GIRESUN, Turkey (AA) – The death toll from flooding in Turkey's Black Sea province of Giresun has risen to eight, said the country's interior minister Monday.
Answering questions of reporters in the disaster-struck area, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said search and rescue teams are still looking for missing people.
Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in a statement said some 988 personnel and 288 vehicles were deployed in the rescue efforts.
According to reports, 157 people have been rescued so far. At least 12 people have been injured due to the heavy flooding.
The floodwaters demolished 17 buildings and slightly damaged 361 structures, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said at a news briefing at the scene.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said damage assessments were underway, adding farmland had suffered less damage than initially estimated.
Meanwhile, 9 million Turkish liras ($1.23 million) were sent to the region to carry out recovery and rehabilitation work.
*Writing by Fahri Aksut and Burak Bir
