Istanbul = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-ho = Record-breaking heavy rain poured down on Istanbul, the largest city in Turkye, causing damage, including deaths.
According to the authorities on the 15th (local time), the rain that started falling the previous morning poured heavily during the night, and the accumulated precipitation over the two days until today reached 273.1 mm in Beykoz District, Istanbul. It was the highest level in 41 years since 1985, including 208.1 mm in Saryer District and 202.8 mm in Ewip Sultan District.
Many videos were posted on social media showing people and cars being swept away by heavy rain pouring down narrow, steep hill roads. In some low-lying areas with poor drainage, muddy water rose up to the waist of adults, paralyzing transportation and flooding homes and vehicles.
According to reports such as Anadolu News Agency and daily Hiriyet, the number of deaths confirmed so far is 3 and the number of people missing is 4.
The day before, a 14-year-old boy died from electrocution in Istanbul's Fatih district after tripping into a puddle in a park. In Sarjeer District, a 34-year-old man suffered serious injuries when he slipped and hit his head on a curb while crossing a flooded road. He was later taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Additionally, the body of a man believed to be in his 40s was found near a stream in Kaetane District.
In Ayaza District, about 200 people working night shifts at a business became stranded inside the building, and rescue teams mobilized trucks and minibuses to rescue them. Retaining walls collapsed or vehicles became stranded on flooded underpasses and low-lying roads in many places.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of Turkiye announced that flight 43, which was heading to Istanbul International Airport the previous day, diverted to another airport at home and abroad amid heavy rain and gusty winds. Three flights were also diverted at Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
A Korean resident reported that in an apartment complex in Saryer District, where many Koreans live, residents hurriedly moved their cars to the ground following a notice that the underground parking lot was flooded.
The Bosphorus Strait, which divides Istanbul, turned brown as muddy water flowing from the land mixed with it.
Istanbul authorities responded to the disaster by mobilizing 8,000 personnel and ordered all schools at all levels closed for two days on the 15th and 16th. Nearby schools such as Kocaeli, Sakarya, Yalova, Duzze, and Zonguldak were also closed for one day on the 15th.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci Türkiye held a press conference at the Agency for Disaster and Risk Management (AFAD) building and announced that 55,060 personnel, 6,574 vehicles, and 20 ships related to heavy rain response have been deployed throughout Türkiye, including Istanbul. Most of these were concentrated in Istanbul.
Minister Ciftci explained that in Istanbul alone, 2,727 stranded people have been evacuated, and residents who need temporary shelter are being accommodated in temporary accommodations.
AFP reported that the car driven by a 62-year-old man was swept into the sea due to heavy rain on the Greek island of Rhodes, near Turkye, the previous day, killing the driver.
On this day, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a safety notice to Korean residents staying in Turkiye, informing them that they should refrain from unnecessary outings and avoid approaching flooded areas such as underground spaces, rivers, and low-lying areas.
