Istanbul floods kill three as record rain halts schools and transport

Deaths and missing people

Authorities in Istanbul reported three deaths and five missing people in the latest tally, dated Thursday, 15 October. A 14-year-old boy was electrocuted in the Fatih district after he took off his shoes to keep them dry and walked barefoot through flooded ground, stepping on electrical cables lying on the ground, according to the İHA agency. A 34-year-old man slipped and struck his head while crossing a flooded street in Sariyer, and Anadolu reported that bystanders pulled him out of the water before he died in hospital, while Europa Press placed that death in Ayazaga. A third body, that of a man whom Cumhuriyet described as 56, was found in the Kagithane district, where a mosque flooded after a local stream overflowed. Earlier counts also differed: AD, citing Milliyet, reported four deaths and seven people in hospital, and Portuguese and Spanish outlets gave four or five people missing.

Record rain and flooding

The governor said the rainfall was the highest since 1942, when official measurements began, and city authorities said some areas recorded their highest totals since 1985. The rain started on the morning of Wednesday, 14 October, and peaked that evening. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci cited 272 millimetres in some zones, while AFP, as reported by SIC Noticias, measured 261 millimetres per square metre in Beykoz. By late Wednesday, 14 October, AFAD, Turkey's disaster agency, had counted 1,277 floods, 15 landslides and 47 people cut off, and two roofs had been torn away. Videos showed cars floating, buses wading through deep water, flooded metro stations and passengers stranded in water up to their knees.

Rescues and emergency response

The governor said on Thursday, 15 October, that about 3,000 people had been rescued from flooded areas. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci put the number of people cut off and rescued at more than 2,700, a gap that reflects different counts at different moments. Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan said 595 people blocked by the water had been evacuated to safe places. Europa Press reported that around 8,000 agents and 2,000 pieces of machinery were mobilised, and the BBC put the number of emergency and utility staff at more than 8,000. In Sariyer, rescue teams including divers, firefighters, the coast guard and municipal staff used construction machines and boats to pull people out of a flooded business, and crews worked through the night of Wednesday, 14 October.

Schools, transport and warnings

Sources disagree on how long schools will stay closed. Europa Press reported in-person classes suspended for Thursday, 15 October, the BBC said schools would close on Thursday and Friday, 16 October, and SIC Noticias said classes were suspended until Monday, 19 October. Metro hours were extended until 2 am, and Deputy Mayor Aslan urged residents to use public transport rather than private cars. The BBC Turkish service counted 46 flights unable to land at Istanbul airports, while Europa Press reported that airports were operating with no cancellations so far. A motorcycle ban took effect at 21:00 on Wednesday, 14 October, and stays in force until further notice. Turkey's weather service forecast continuing rain and thunderstorms for Thursday, 15 October, and AD reported that heavy rain is expected from the morning of Friday, 16 October, mainly on the European side of the city.

Damage and the funeral

Local authorities said more than 800 homes and 76 vehicles had been damaged, and about 50 people had been trapped by the water. On Thursday, 15 October, a funeral for the 14-year-old boy was held at the Ismailaga mosque, attended by Governor Davut Gul and Istanbul police chief Selami Yildiz, according to the DHA agency. The boy was to be buried in his family's village of Doganli in Duzce province. Residents shared the footage online, and officials urged people to follow official warnings as the rain was expected to continue into the weekend.