At least three people have died and four others remain missing after torrential rainfall triggered widespread flooding in Istanbul, with emergency teams battling to clear mud and drain water from affected areas.
The flooding, which began on Wednesday, October 14, intensified throughout the day, inundating homes, businesses, roads and underpasses across Turkey’s largest city.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül described the downpour as the heaviest since rainfall records began in 1942, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Authorities confirmed that the death toll rose to three after a man’s body was discovered near a park in the Kağıthane district. The victims also included a 14-year-old boy who died after being electrocuted when he stepped into a puddle in the Balat area. A third person reportedly died after slipping on a flooded street.
Four people were still missing as of Thursday, October 15, while rescue and recovery operations continued across the city.
Istanbul municipal workers and firefighters were deployed to schools, football pitches, garages and other flooded locations to pump out water and remove accumulated mud.
According to AFP, dramatic footage showed vehicles being swept away by fast-flowing floodwaters, while residents trapped inside flooded buildings were rescued with the assistance of emergency workers and heavy machinery.
The disaster also disrupted electricity and water supplies in some neighbourhoods, leaving business owners struggling to salvage damaged goods.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that more than 2,700 people stranded by the floods had been safely evacuated. Authorities also recorded extensive damage to roads and other infrastructure, while a two-storey house in neighbouring Sakarya Province reportedly collapsed during the flooding.
The severe weather disrupted air travel, with dozens of flights diverted from Istanbul Airport and additional services affected at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Schools were ordered to remain closed on Friday as officials warned that further rainfall could trigger additional flooding.
Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD, established a crisis coordination centre to manage emergency operations, while authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from underpasses, waterways and other flood-prone locations.
The recovery effort comes as emergency services continue to assess the damage and search for those reported missing.
Sources: AFP, AP
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