Istanbul is struggling to recover after torrential rain triggered severe flooding, killing three people and leaving five others missing.
Cars were swept through streets, homes and businesses were inundated, and transport services were disrupted.
The downpour began on Wednesday and intensified throughout the day.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul described it as the heaviest rainfall since records began in 1942.
Among the victims was a 14-year-old boy who was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle in the Balat district.
Another man’s body was found near a park, while a third reported death occurred at a construction site, where a man allegedly fell into a well.
Rescue teams worked through Thursday to pump water from schools, garages and sports grounds and clear streets buried in mud.
Dramatic videos showed vehicles carried away by fast-moving floodwaters and people being rescued through a first-floor window.
Flood Damage And Recovery
Authorities closed schools until Monday and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
Some neighbourhoods also experienced power and water cuts.
The damage extended beyond Istanbul.Flooding affected nearby provinces, while dozens of flights were diverted.
Strong winds temporarily halted departures from Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
Turkey’s disaster agency recorded more than 1,200 flood incidents, alongside landslides and stranded residents.
With homes, roads and businesses damaged, the immediate challenge is recovery.
But the scale of the flooding also raises a pressing question: are cities prepared for rainfall of this intensity?
