Istanbul flood toll confirmed at 7 as experts warn of 10 at-risk districts
Istanbul's governorate confirmed the flood death toll at seven after a final body was recovered, while flood-risk experts warned ten districts remain vulnerable to similar flash floods.
Update ·
Istanbul's governorate confirms the flood death toll at 7 after a final body is recovered, ending the search.
The governorate of Istanbul confirmed on Tuesday that seven people died in last week's flash flooding in the city, after search teams recovered the body of Ahmet Derin from waters off the Altın Boynuz social facility in the Eyüpsultan district, close to the Golden Horn, according to a written statement cited by Habertürk and Sözcü.
Search and rescue teams ended their operation once Derin's body was found at around 11:00 local time on Tuesday, the governorate said, adding that no one else was reported missing.
The flooding was triggered by heavy rain that hit the Ayazağa area of Sarıyer district last week, causing serious damage to buildings along a stream bed, according to NTV Türkiye. Six people died in the flood waters, with a seventh person listed as missing before Tuesday's discovery closed the search.
Istanbul Technical University disaster management researcher Ömer Ekmekcioğlu said the damage in Ayazağa matched a flood-risk map his team had produced earlier using artificial intelligence. He said construction along stream beds and natural drainage corridors, combined with run-off from higher ground, had worsened the impact of the rain, rather than rainfall volume alone, according to NTV.
Ekmekcioğlu said similarly heavy rain could cause serious flooding in other parts of Istanbul with dense urban development and altered drainage systems. He named the Kağıthane and Alibeyköy stream systems, the Ayamama Deresi basin around Küçükçekmece, Bağcılar, Bahçelievler and Bakırköy, and the Haramidere basin around Esenyurt and Avcılar on the European side of the city, along with the Kurbağalıdere basin around Kadıköy and several stream valleys in Beykoz on the Anatolian side, NTV reported.
A separate report by the Azerbaijani outlet Oxu.az put the death toll at 10, but this figure has not been confirmed by Istanbul's governorate or by Turkish media, which continue to cite seven.
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What we know
- Official · Istanbul governorate Istanbul's governorate confirmed seven deaths in last week's flash flooding after a final body was found on Tuesday in Eyüpsultan district, ending the search for missing people.
- 1 outlet · NTV Türkiye The flooding hit the Ayazağa area of Sarıyer district, damaging buildings built along a stream bed, according to NTV Türkiye.
- 1 outlet · NTV Türkiye Flood-risk researcher Ömer Ekmekcioğlu of Istanbul Technical University said the damage matched an earlier AI-generated flood-risk map and warned that ten districts across both sides of the city remain vulnerable to similar flooding.
- 1 outlet · NTV Türkiye Named risk areas include the Kağıthane, Alibeyköy, Ayamama Deresi and Haramidere stream basins on the European side, and the Kurbağalıdere basin and Beykoz valleys on the Anatolian side.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Oxu.az reported 10 deaths, a figure not confirmed by Istanbul's governorate or Turkish media.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
Istanbul's rapid, often unplanned urban growth has narrowed natural stream channels and drainage corridors across the city, researchers say, making flash floods more destructive when they strike. A repeat of last week's rainfall in any of the newly identified risk areas, several of them in densely populated districts on both sides of the Bosphorus, could put more residents and buildings at risk before the city completes drainage improvements.
Updates
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Istanbul's governorate confirms the flood death toll at 7 after a final body is recovered, ending the search.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 5 reports from 5 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- NTV Türkiye: Sel felaketi tekrarlanabilir: İstanbul'da tehlike altındaki 10 ilçe
- Habertürk: İstanbul'da sel faciasında can kaybı 7'ye yükseldi
- Sözcü: İstanbul'u vuran selde can kaybı 7'ye yükseldi
- Oxu.az: İstanbuldakı sel fəlakəti: Ölənlərin sayı 10-a çatdı - Video
- Cumhuriyet: İstanbul Valisi Davut Gül'den 'sel felaketi' açıklaması: 'Aslında o kadar büyüktü ki, bugün Allah muhafaza farklı rakamları konuşuyor olabilirdik'
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many people died in the Istanbul flooding?
- Istanbul's governorate confirmed seven deaths after a final body was found on Tuesday, ending the search for missing people. One Azerbaijani outlet reported 10 deaths, but this is not confirmed by Turkish officials.
- Where did the flooding happen?
- The flash flooding hit the Ayazağa area of Sarıyer district last week, damaging buildings along a stream bed, according to NTV Türkiye.
- Which districts are now considered at risk?
- A flood-risk researcher named ten areas across both sides of Istanbul, including the Kağıthane, Alibeyköy, Ayamama Deresi and Haramidere basins on the European side and the Kurbağalıdere basin and Beykoz valleys on the Anatolian side.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.