The death toll in Turkey's devastating flash floods has now climbed to 55 victims with hundreds more missing - as the country battles disaster on two fronts after eight more people died in a fire-fighting aircraft crash. The country's official disaster agency AFAD said teams were combing through the rubble of dozens of homes that collapsed due to the floods that hit Black Sea regions after heavy rains.
It comes as southern Europe swelters in near record-breaking temperatures due to the 'Lucifer' heat dome.
The intense heat has sparked some wildfires in Spain, with emergency crews rushing to tackle blazes north of Madrid and near Valencia on the country's east coast.
Wildfires have been raging on hillsides along Turkey's southern coast areas, although some have since been brought under control.
The latest official death toll published Saturday by AFAD stood at 55, with nine other people in hospital.
In Bozkurt in Kastamonu province, one eight-storey building constructed on the banks of the Ezine river collapsed.
Footage shot by survivors showed furious river waters flooding the streets in just a few minutes, carrying off cars and traffic signs.
Scientists believe natural disasters like the floods and wildfires are becoming more intense and frequent because of global warming caused by polluting emissions.
Last night officials in Ankara and Moscow also announced that all eight people on onboard a Russian fire-fighting plane had perished on a mission to control the wildfires.
Russian President Vladimir Putin - who is battling 'unprecedented' wildfires in northeastern Siberia - sent condolences to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erodgan saying 'the pain of this loss unites us'.
In Moscow, the defence ministry said five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens were on board the Russian Be-200 plane that went down around midday.
Spain is hit by wildfires as the country swelters in 116F heat on hottest day of the year so far - as 'Lucifer' heat dome puts 16 Italian cities on red alert
Intense heat is threatening to spark wildfires across Europe's southern coast today, as temperatures along the Mediterranean soared over 100F.
Spain endured its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures topping 113F (45C), while authorities in Italy expanded the number of cities on red alert for health risks to 16, as a heatwave engulfed southern Europe. The hottest temperature by late afternoon was recorded in Ecija, Seville, at 115.7F (46.5C), just shy of the country's all-time record of 116.42F (46.9C) hit in Cordoba in July 2017.
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