Istanbul Floods: Worst in 80 Years Leave 4 Dead
Turkey's interior minister stated that catastrophic flooding in Istanbul was the worst the city has experienced in more than eight decades as the death toll climbed to four.
Catastrophic flooding in Istanbul has been the worst in more than 80 years, Turkey’s interior minister said Friday, as the death toll from the deluge rose to four.
Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with 16 million residents, received more rain in the 48 hours leading up to Thursday morning than the combined historical average for September and October, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
“We are trying our best to help our citizens, but we are also experiencing the biggest flood disaster since 1942,” Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said during a visit to one of the areas most affected by Wednesday night’s downpour.
The body of a 66-year-old man was found Friday under a bridge in Istanbul’s Sariyer district. Three other deaths had been previously reported, including a teenager who was electrocuted during the storm.
Homes and businesses were inundated as water covered streets and parks across the city. Vehicles were swept away, with many ending up piled up at the bottom of hills.
Before the body was discovered Friday, Ciftci told reporters in Sariyer’s Ayazaga neighborhood that four people remained missing. He added that there were 9,850 reports of damage and other issues related to the floods, and that 46,000 personnel were working to clear debris and assist residents.
Murat Kurum, the minister for the environment, urbanization and climate change, accompanied Ciftci to the flood-hit neighborhood. Kurum linked the floods to the effects of climate change, stating, “Combating climate change is not a choice, but a necessity.” He will chair the U.N. climate change conference, COP31, next month in the Turkish city of Antalya.