Torrential rain triggered deadly flooding across Istanbul on Wednesday, killing a 14-year-old boy who was electrocuted after stepping into a waterlogged area in the city’s Fatih district. Surveillance footage verified by Al Jazeera showed the boy collapsing in the Balat neighborhood after contact with the puddle, which authorities suspect carried an electrical current. He was rushed to a hospital unconscious but later died, prompting an investigation into the incident .
The downpour submerged streets, underpasses, and basements, stranding vehicles and forcing the closure of schools across Turkey’s largest city. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas, including creek beds and underpasses, and advised those in basement apartments to move to higher floors. Emergency services received over 2,500 calls reporting floods, landslides, and stranded individuals, with officials recording 1,277 flood incidents, 15 landslides, and damage to 808 homes, 280 businesses, and 76 vehicles .
The governor’s office also suspended in-person classes and banned motorcycles from roads as part of emergency measures. About 8,000 personnel and 2,000 vehicles were deployed to respond to the crisis, which began Tuesday evening after warnings from Turkey’s weather service .
