Istanbul paralyzed by heavy rain as roads collapse

Torrential rains unleashed widespread flooding across Istanbul on Wednesday, paralyzing traffic, collapsing roads, inundating homes and hospitals, and claiming the life of a 14-year-old boy.

Authorities recorded 1,277 flooding incidents, 15 landslides and 47 people stranded, with emergency services receiving 2,518 weather-related reports.

BREAKING: Massive flooding across Istanbul, Turkey, due to heavy rainfall https://t.co/VbYRfADlmp

— World Source News (@Worldsource24) October 14, 2026

Floodwaters affected more than 800 homes, 280 businesses and 76 vehicles.

The heaviest rainfall hit Beykoz’s Ömerli area on the Asian side, measuring nearly 194 kilograms per square meter (about 194 mm), while several northern and central districts saw 50 to 95 kilograms.

Acting Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Nuri Aslan said nearly 100 kilograms fell in 12 hours in parts of the city.

A 14-year-old boy, identified by initials M.I., died after being electrocuted when he stepped into a puddle in the Balat neighborhood of Fatih district.

Surveillance footage verified by media outlets showed him collapsing after walking through the water at a car park entrance.

He was rushed to hospital unconscious but could not be saved, the Istanbul Governor’s Office said, adding that an investigation was opened.

Roads collapsed in Eyüpsultan and Gaziosmanpaşa districts, with one section of Eyüpsultan Boulevard caving in near the district municipality building.

Traffic congestion citywide reached about 90 percent during the evening rush hour.

Floodwater entered Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Hospital and Mimar Sinan State Hospital, leaked from the ceiling of Hacıosman metro station, and caused a retaining wall at Nurettin Uzun Primary School in Sultangazi to collapse while students were in class (no injuries were reported).

In Esenyurt, bystanders rescued a woman swept away by floodwaters; firefighters pulled another person from a flooded basement.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and other teams deployed roughly 8,000 to 8,392 personnel and more than 2,000 vehicles and machines to respond.

The Governor’s Office suspended in-person classes at all public and private schools across the province for Thursday, granted administrative leave to some public employees (including those with disabilities and mothers of young children), and banned motorcycles from traffic from 9 p.m. Wednesday until further notice.

Governor Davut Gül urged residents to stay home on Thursday unless travel was essential.
“We strongly request that our citizens do not leave their homes tomorrow unless necessary,” he said.

He advised people in basement apartments to move to higher floors overnight, avoid creek beds, underpasses and flood-prone areas, and call the 112 emergency line if they had no safe place to stay.

In a later statement he described the rainfall as exceeding 200 kilograms per square meter in places—the highest measured in the history of the Republic—and stressed that life safety remained the top priority.

More rain was forecast through Thursday, particularly on the Asian side, with intermittent showers expected into the weekend and temperatures several degrees below seasonal norms.