Istanbul Suffers Worst Floods in More Than 80 Years: 48 Hours of Rain Exceed Two Months' Average; Four Dead, at Least 2,700 Forced from Their Homes
ISTANBUL — Catastrophic flooding in Istanbul was the worst in more than 80 years, Turkey's interior minister said Friday as the death toll rose to four, the Associated Press reported on October 16.
Istanbul, Turkey's largest city with 16 million residents, was hit by more rain in the 48 hours 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," Mustafa Ciftci said during a visit to one of the areas hit hardest 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 were previously reported: a 14-year-old who was electrocuted after stepping in a puddle in the storm; a 34-year-old who slipped on a footpath and hit their head; and a third person whose body was discovered near a park in the Kagithane district. Before the discovery of the man's body on Friday, Ciftci had told reporters in Sariyer's Ayazaga neighborhood that four people remained missing.
Homes and businesses were flooded as water covered streets and parks across the city. Vehicles were washed away and many ended up piled up at the bottom of hills. At least 2,700 people were forced to leave their homes, schools closed, and residents were advised to stay home except for necessary travel. Ciftci said there were 9,850 reports of damage and other issues related to the floods, and that 46,000 personnel were working to clean up debris and help residents in Istanbul.
Murat Kurum, the minister for the environment, urbanization and climate change, accompanied Ciftci to the flood-hit neighborhood. Addressing concerns that the floods were exacerbated by urban development close to waterways, he said dealing with the problem was "essential". Kurum, who will chair the U.N. climate change conference, COP31, next month in the Turkish city of Antalya, also linked the floods to the effects of climate change: "Combating climate change is not a choice, but a necessity." The General Directorate of Meteorology later warned of "heavy and intense" rainfall for Istanbul and four nearby provinces over the weekend. (GSM, from Associated Press reporting)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：土耳其伊斯坦布尔雨夜街道资料照片（背景为圣索菲亚大教堂）。照片：Another Believer，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。Photo: a rain-soaked street in Istanbul, Turkey, with Hagia Sophia in the background (file photo). Photo by Another Believer via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
