Climate & Environment
14‑Year‑Old Boy Dies After Electrocution During Istanbul Floods
A 14‑year‑old boy died after being electrocuted in the Balat area of Istanbul’s Fatih district during heavy rain. Surveillance footage, verified by Al Jazeera, showed the boy stepping into a puddle at the entrance of a car park, collapsing to the ground. He was taken to hospital unconscious, but he died despite rescue attempts. An investigation has been opened. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul urged residents to stay home unless travel was necessary, advised people in basement flats to move to higher floors, and warned against creek beds, underpasses and other flood‑prone areas. The governor’s office suspended classes across the city for Thursday, banned motorcycles from the roads, and placed state employees with disabilities and mothers with young children on leave. The motorcycle ban began at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and will remain in effect until further notice. Turkey’s Interior Ministry warned of sudden flooding in several provinces on Wednesday and Thursday. About 8,000 personnel, 2,000 vehicles and construction machines were deployed across the city, which has a population of about 16 million. The rain began on Tuesday evening after warnings from Turkey’s weather service. Water filled roads and underpasses, leaving vehicles stranded in districts such as Esenyurt and Sultangazi. Emergency services received more than 2,500 weather‑related incident reports. Authorities recorded 1,277 floods, 15 landslides, and 47 people stranded. More than 800 homes, 280 businesses and 76 vehicles were affected. Sections of road collapsed in the Eyüp Sultan and Gaziosmanpasa districts. Passersby rescued a woman swept by floodwaters in Esenyurt. Floodwater also reached two hospitals, poured through the ceiling of the Haciosman metro station, and caused a primary school’s retaining wall to collapse in Sultangazi while students were inside; no injuries were reported among the students. The heaviest rain fell in the Omerli area of Beykoz on Istanbul’s Asian side, where nearly 194 mm (7.6 inches) was recorded. Acting Istanbul Mayor Nuri Aslan said parts of the city received nearly 100 mm (3.9 inches) in 12 hours. Traffic density reached about 90 percent during the evening rush hour, and flights were operating normally.