ANKARA: Flash floods in Turkey's northern Black Sea region killed five people, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, and authorities were searching for 11 missing people.

Floodwaters caused by unusually heavy rainfall dragged debris and vehicles along a road, leaving them buried in mud, footage from the province of Giresun showed. Residents were seen clearing streets, as construction machines lifted the debris and cleared roads.

Speaking in Istanbul, Erdogan said the floods had spread to neighbouring provinces as well, causing injuries in Rize and Trabzon.

"In the initial reports we received, we had five dead and around 12 wounded as a result of heavy floods," Erdogan said. "God willing, we will overcome the damage and destruction here rapidly," he said.