At least two people have been killed after torrential downpours in Istanbul left entire neighbourhoods submerged, with residents and tourists rushed to safety. The deluge on Wednesday night triggered landslides across Turkey's largest city and brought traffic to a halt, leaving dozens stranded.
Victims and rescue efforts
Among those killed was a 14-year-old boy who was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle at a park in the Fatih district. The teenager was seen walking through the tourist hotspot of Balat before suddenly collapsing, CCTV footage verified by Al Jazeera showed. He was rushed to hospital unconscious but later died, with an investigation into the incident underway.
A second victim, a 34-year-old woman, died after slipping on a pavement in the Sariyer district and hitting her head, according to local reports. A major rescue effort was launched to save dozens of people stranded at their workplaces, while bystanders rallied together to help others. One woman swept across a street by the floodwaters was rescued by locals, and another person trapped in a flooded basement was saved by firefighters.
Emergency response and disruption
Last night's downpour was the city's heaviest since 1985, with more rain forecast over the coming days. According to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), almost 7,000 emergency reports were made as the heavy rain unleashed chaos across the city.
The governor's office said schools would be closed on both Thursday and Friday, adding that state employees with disabilities and mothers with young children would be placed on leave. Residents were urged to stay at home and only travel unless absolutely necessary, while those living in basement apartments were told to leave their homes and spend the night elsewhere.
The torrential rain also disrupted dozens of metro and tram services, and 43 flights attempting to land at Istanbul Airport were diverted to alternative airports. Images showed damaged cars piled up along submerged streets after the vehicles were swept away by the deluge.
Wider regional impact
Mayor Thodoris Tzoumas said up to 50 businesses and 20 homes had suffered damage. "The rain and winds continue," he said. "We are carrying out repairs to the main network, where we have some power outages. We had some trees fall and two cars have been swept away, while schools are closed. The phenomenon seems to be subsiding."
The flooding comes as a severe storm battered large parts of Greece, with a 62-year-old hotel worker killed on the popular holiday island of Rhodes. The island was battered by heavy rainfall on Wednesday, with Greek public broadcaster ERT reporting that more than 200mm fell in six and a half hours. Authorities declared an emergency and urged residents and holidaymakers to restrict all but essential travel, with a warning reading: "Due to severe weather conditions in the Regional Unit of #Rodos, limit your movement to the absolutely necessary."
