Two dead after heavy rain in Istanbul
Flooding halted traffic and kept schools closed on Thursday.
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Heavy rain caused flooding and two fatal incidents in Istanbul on Wednesday. The authorities closed all schools in the province on Thursday and urged residents to go outside only if necessary.
In several districts, streets, tunnels, flyovers, homes and shops were flooded. Cars became stranded and public transport was disrupted. The governor of Istanbul ordered schools to close on Thursday and granted leave to some civil servants.
The first victim was a child who came into contact with electricity in a flooded area in the Fatih district. The provincial authorities said an investigation into the incident had begun. According to reports carried by Anadolu Ajansı, a 34-year-old resident later also died after falling during flooding in the Sarıyer district.
Reporting on the number of victims began over the course of the evening. Associated Press reported on Wednesday evening that no serious injuries had yet been reported. Turkish media later reported the two fatal incidents; a central, comprehensive overview from the authorities was not available at the time of publication.
Rainfall totals varied considerably between districts. The municipal disaster service AKOM initially reported 50 to 95 kilograms per square metre in parts of the north and centre of the city. The municipality said on Thursday that 242 kilograms per square metre had been measured locally in Beykoz, one of the highest figures since 1985.
Between 06.00 and 20.00, 2,518 reports came in, according to Turkey’s disaster agency and the municipality. Emergency services responded to flooded homes, businesses, roads and tunnels. The municipality deployed thousands of staff and vehicles for evacuations, water removal and clearing traffic routes.
The showers were accompanied by strong winds and also caused problems with airport connections and city traffic. The governor advised residents of basement flats to seek shelter elsewhere and warned of further flooding. For Dutch travellers, this mainly means that local traffic and flight information remains authoritative; there is no indication of wider international disruption.
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The main points have been confirmed by public Turkish and international sources. The second death has been carefully presented as a later media confirmation because no central official overview was available.
- confirmed On 14 October 2026, heavy rain caused flooding in Istanbul. — Confirmed by AP, Anadolu Ajansı and the Istanbul municipality. source
- confirmed All schools in Istanbul province remained closed on 15 October. — Reported by AP, Anadolu Ajansı and Medyascope, based on the governor’s decision. source
- confirmed Between 50 and 95 kilograms of rain per square metre fell in parts of Istanbul. — Reported by TRT Haber, based on meteorological measurements. source
- confirmed A local total of 242 kilograms of rain per square metre was measured in Beykoz. — Reported by Anadolu Ajansı, based on information from the Istanbul municipality. source
- confirmed A child died in Fatih after coming into contact with electricity in a flooded area. — Reported by Anadolu Ajansı, based on a statement from the governor of Istanbul. source
- uncertain A second person later died in Sarıyer. — Reported by several Turkish news outlets citing Anadolu Ajansı as their source; an independently confirmed official overview was not available. source
Editor's note
The heavy rain, flooding, school closures and first fatal incident have been confirmed by public sources. The second death was reported through reports citing Anadolu Ajansı as a source; an independently confirmed official total was not available.Sources
- Heavy rain and flooding in Istanbul forces closure of schools — Associated Press
- İstanbul'da sağanak nedeniyle birçok ilçede su baskınları yaşanıyor — Anadolu Ajansı
- İstanbul'da metrekareye 50 ila 95 kilogram yağış düştü — TRT Haber
- İstanbul'da Sağanak Alarmı! — Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
- İstanbul'daki sel felaketinden acı haber: Ayazağa'da 34 yaşındaki kişi hayatını kaybetti — Karar
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „istanbul overstromingen”
- De Telegraaf — „istanbul overstromingen”
- AD — „istanbul overstromingen”