2 dead as flooding shuts schools and strands drivers across Istanbul
A 14-year-old boy was among 2 people killed as schools closed citywide after record rain caused flash floods that swept a woman away in Esenyurt.
Update ·
2 people are now confirmed dead in the Istanbul flooding, including a 14-year-old boy killed by an electric shock, as the governor shut schools and banned motorcycles.
Incidents in this story
- Esenyurt, Istanbul · during Tuesday's storm: Woman swept away by floodwater, rescued in Esenyurt
- Istanbul · during Tuesday's storm: Teenage boy killed by electric shock in a puddle (1 killed)
At least 2 people have died in flooding that swept across Istanbul after record rainfall, as the city's governor shut schools and urged residents to stay indoors, Turkish media reported. A 14-year-old boy was killed by an electric shock after stepping into a puddle during the storm, German outlets Zeit Online and DER STANDARD reported.
Passers-by rescued a woman swept away by floodwater in the Esenyurt district as the storm hit, Al Jazeera and Albanian outlet Telegrafi reported. Videos showed fast-moving water sweeping through streets, with vehicles submerged and homes and businesses flooded in several neighbourhoods.
Istanbul's governor, Davut Gül, ordered a one-day suspension of face-to-face teaching at all state and private schools for Thursday 15 October and told residents to avoid unnecessary travel, broadcaster NTV Türkiye reported. The governor's office also banned motorcycles and similar two-wheeled vehicles from the roads from 21:00 on Wednesday until further notice.
Mikdat Kadıoğlu, a meteorology professor at Istanbul Technical University, said the ground was already saturated after 104 millimetres of rain fell on Tuesday, so even lighter rain forecast for Thursday, of 15 to 20 millimetres, could produce flooding similar to 40 to 50 millimetres falling on dry soil, broadcaster Habertürk reported. He said waterlogged roads, including Büyükdere Avenue and approach roads near Ayazağa, remained at risk, and warned that saturated ground combined with winds of up to 60 kilometres an hour raised the risk of falling trees.
Tuesday's downpour was Istanbul's heaviest rainfall since 1985, Al Jazeera reported. Several northern districts, including Beykoz, Sarıyer, Eyüpsultan, Arnavutköy, Başakşehir, Sultangazi and Büyükçekmece, recorded 50 to 95 millimetres of rain in a single day, more than the city's average total rainfall for the whole of October, according to meteorological data cited by Habertürk. The total fell short of Istanbul's record daily rainfall of 136.1 millimetres, recorded on 10 September 1981.
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What we know
- At least 2 people have died in the Istanbul flooding, including a 14-year-old boy killed by an electric shock, Turkish and German media reported.
- A woman was rescued by passers-by after being swept away by floodwater in Istanbul's Esenyurt district.
- Istanbul's governor closed schools for Thursday 15 October, urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and banned motorcycles from the roads.
- Meteorologists warned the flood risk would continue into Thursday because the ground was already saturated.
Not yet confirmed
- Reports that floodwater also reached a metro line and at least one hospital, cited by a single outlet and not detailed elsewhere.
- A final citywide damage or casualty assessment.
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and a major transport and tourism hub linking Europe and Asia, so disruption to its roads, schools and transport network affects European travellers and trade routes through the Bosphorus. Meteorologists said the storm, which tracked from the Balkans across the Aegean, dropped nearly a month's worth of rain on some northern districts in a single day, among the city's heaviest rainfall totals in decades.
Live updates
·
2 people are now confirmed dead in the Istanbul flooding, including a 14-year-old boy killed by an electric shock, as the governor shut schools and banned motorcycles.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 24 reports from 23 independent outlets in 13 countries.
- Cumhuriyet: Yarın okullar tatil mi? 15 Ekim Perşembe İstanbul'da okullar tatil mi edildi?
- Habertürk: İstanbul için kritik sel uyarısı
- Habertürk: İstanbul'da yağışlar ne kadar sürecek?
- NTV Türkiye: İstanbul'da okullar tatil edildi. Vali Gül'den "dışarı çıkmayın" uyarısı
- NTV Türkiye: İstanbul'u sağanak ve fırtına vurdu. Yollar göle döndü, araçlar suya gömüldü
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Istanbul?
- Record rainfall caused flash flooding across Istanbul, sweeping away a woman in the Esenyurt district and contributing to at least 2 deaths, including a 14-year-old boy killed by an electric shock.
- What steps have authorities taken?
- Istanbul's governor closed all schools for Thursday 15 October, urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and banned motorcycles from the roads from Wednesday evening.
- Is the flood risk over?
- No. Meteorologists warned that saturated ground means further rain on Thursday could cause renewed flooding even though forecast rainfall is lighter than earlier in the week.
This article was written with AI assistance from 34 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.