Istanbul Floods Kill Four, Worst Since 1942

Flooding in Istanbul killed four people and damaged homes, businesses, streets and vehicles after the city received more rain in 48 hours than the combined historical average for September and October, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey's interior minister called it the city's worst disaster since 1942. Istanbul has 16 million residents.

Deaths and damage

A 66-year-old man's body turned up Friday beneath a bridge in Istanbul's Sariyer district, bringing the death toll to four. Officials had reported three other deaths earlier, including a teenager electrocuted in the storm. Before the body was found, Mustafa Ciftci told reporters that four people remained missing. The account doesn't give an updated missing-person count.

Floodwater filled homes and businesses and spread across streets and parks. It swept vehicles away, leaving many piled at the bottom of hills. The damage prompted 9,850 reports of flood-related damage and other issues, Ciftci said. He added that 46,000 personnel were working to clear debris and help residents in Istanbul.

The rain fell in the 48 hours leading up to Thursday morning, Anadolu Agency reported. During that period, rainfall exceeded the combined historical average for September and October. The account gives no rainfall measurement, breakdown of damage reports or estimate of the financial cost.

Urban development and climate change

Murat Kurum, the minister for the environment, urbanization and climate change, joined Ciftci in the flood-hit neighborhood. Asked whether urban development near waterways had worsened the flooding, Kurum said addressing the problem was “essential.” The account doesn't detail which developments drew scrutiny or name a specific planning decision.

Kurum also connected the floods to climate change. “Combating climate change is not a choice, but a necessity,” he said. Next month, he will chair the U.N. climate change conference, COP31, in the Turkish city of Antalya.

Ciftci described the event during a visit to an area hit hardest by Wednesday night's downpour. “We are trying our best to help our citizens, but we are also experiencing the biggest flood disaster since 1942,” he said. His figures offered a picture of the government response: 46,000 personnel working on debris clearance and assistance, alongside 9,850 reports of damage and other issues.

The source covers deaths, flooding, damage, emergency work, urban-development concerns and climate-change statements. It provides no information about migration, demographic change, a transfer of national powers, institutional beneficiaries or popular opposition to the response. It also doesn't identify any political or civic group disputing the officials’ statements. The reported facts focus on the immediate disaster, its human toll and questions about development near waterways.