TRABZON, Turkey 

The death toll from a flash flood in Turkey’s northwest rose to seven, a minister said on Wednesday.

According to initial reports, eight villages and a total of 150 hectares of tea and hazelnut fields were damaged in Arakli, Trabzon of the Black Sea region, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli told reporters.

Nine cattle were also killed in the flood, Pakdemirli added.

Meanwhile, in a Twitter post, the Defense Ministry said two helicopters and two planes were dispatched to the flood-hit district.

Earlier, Pakdemirli had denied reports that claimed the flood was caused by a hydroelectric power plant pipe explosion, saying it was caused by heavy rain.