Turkey flooding Horror aftermath of devastating rainfall that washed away towns

These photos reveal the full scale of destruction after Turkey's worst floods in years left at least 44 people dead as they washed away homes and carved paths through towns.

Many more were feared missing as rescuers searched buildings, which had collapsed or been left with severe damage, while anxious families looked on.

The floods in the northern Black Sea region were the second natural disaster to strike the country this month, following devastating wildfires that raged through southern coastal regions.

Drone footage showed massive damage in the flood-hit Black Sea town of Bozkurt, where emergency workers were searching demolished buildings.

People stand near damaged buildings after a flood caused by heav rain in Babacay, Turkey ( Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Thirty-six people died as a result of floods in the Kastamonu district which includes Bozkurt, and another seven people died in Sinop and one in Bartin, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said.

In one collapsed building along the banks of the swollen river, 10 people were still believed buried.

The rapid floodwaters appeared to have swept away the foundations of several other apartment blocks.

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Relatives of the missing, desperate for news, were nearby.

Ilyas Kalabalik, 42, said: "This is unprecedented. There is no power. The mobile phones were dead. There was no reception.

"You couldn't receive news from anyone.

"We had no idea whether the water was rising or not, whether it flooded the building or not. We were just waiting, like this.

Thirty-six people died as a result of floods in the Kastamonu district ( IHH/AFP via Getty Images)

"Our wives and children were panicked. Once sun came up in the morning, we saw police officers.

"They took us from the building and hurled us into a gas station."

Kalabalik was surrounded by residents who were asking each other whether anyone had any news about missing people.

He added: "My aunt's children are there. My aunt is missing. Her husband is missing.

A drone photo shows a bridge that was damaged in Babacay village ( Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"Her twin grandchildren are missing. The wife of our building manager is missing along with their two children."

The floods 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.

About 45cm (18ins) of rain fell in less than three days in one village near Bozkurt.

More than 40 people have been killed and many more are feared dead after floods in the Black Sea region ( Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Torrents of water tossed dozens of cars and heaps of debris along streets, destroyed bridges, closed roads and cut off electricity to hundreds of villages.

The small town of Bozkurt lies in a valley along the banks of the Ezine river in Kastamonu province, 2.5 km (1.6 miles) from the Black Sea.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a funeral for some victims on Friday and prayed with hundreds of residents in Bozkurt.

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