Flash Floods in Istanbul
The rain is pouring in Istanbul. Today, in the news, dangerous rains are bursting over the city of Istanbul. If you are traveling to Istanbul today, take note of the dangerous conditions in the city as there has been a loss of 14 lives already and many more are missing. The center of Istanbul has not been affected.
This story of the disaster comes from the BBC news.
At least 14 people have been killed and a number of others are missing following flash floods in Turkey.
The bodies were recovered in and around Turkey’s largest city of Istanbul in the north-west, Turkish media say.
TV pictures showed main roads near Istanbul’s international airport submerged by deep water.
Cars were swept away and some drivers were trapped inside their vehicles. The flooding was caused by torrential rainfall – the worst in 80 years.Police and military helicopters rescued people from rooftops in Istanbul and its suburbs. Boats were also deployed to move stranded people to safety.
Istanbul’s Deputy Governor Hikmet Cakmak described the scene in the city’s Ikitelli district as a “disaster”, Turkish media report.
Roads, homes and farming land were submerged in nearby towns and at least two bridges collapsed.
“We are saddened by the loss of lives. There are still some people missing and we are searching for them,” Turkish Procurement Minister Mustafa Demir was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The flooding was caused by torrential rainfall that has been lashing the area since Monday. It has been reported in Turkey that one area received 24cm (10in) of rain in just two hours.
More rain is forecast for north-western Turkey in the coming days. BBC correspondent David O’Byrne, in Istanbul, said he was kept awake for two hours during the night by “thunder and lightning and very heavy rain”. He said the worst hit area is in the far west of Istanbul, but that the centre has not really been affected by flooding.
Read the full story on the BBC news site and watch a video broadcast of the torrential rains in the city of Istanbul.
