Educational institutions in Türkiye's Istanbul province suspend classes due to flooding

China News Service, Beijing, October 15th Comprehensive news: The Istanbul Provincial Government of Turkey announced on the 14th local time that due to the impact of flooding caused by heavy rainfall, public and private educational institutions in the province will suspend classes on the 15th, and some public employees will be placed on administrative leave. The government advises people not to go out unless necessary.

According to reports from the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and local Turkish media on the 14th, rainfall in some areas of Istanbul reached 50 to 95 millimeters, exceeding the previous forecast of the meteorological department. Rainfall was higher in some urban areas, including about 210 millimeters in Beykoz district, and about 170 millimeters in Eyup Sultan and Salyer districts.

Heavy rainfall caused surface roads and underground passages to be flooded, and some vehicles were trapped, causing serious traffic congestion. The Istanbul Municipal Government stated that the city's traffic congestion rate once reached 72%, with congestion in the Asian region reaching 83%, and congestion in the European region reaching 67%. Subsequent reports showed that the congestion level was close to 90%. In addition, some residences and shops were flooded, and many parked cars were washed away by the floods. The famous Grand Bazaar and Spice Market also suffered from flooding.

So far, heavy rainfall has caused 2 deaths. Among them, a 14-year-old boy in Fatih District stepped into electrified water during a heavy rain and was electrocuted and passed out. He died after being sent to the hospital. Relevant departments have launched an investigation into the incident. Television footage showed a woman being swept away by floodwaters on the street and being rescued by passers-by; firefighters also rescued a person who was trapped in a flooded basement.

The Istanbul Provincial Government stated that people with disabilities, pregnant women, veterans and some public employees will be placed on administrative leave on the 15th. Relevant arrangements will also apply to mothers of children under 8 years old. Starting from 21:00 on the 14th, motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles are prohibited from being on the road until further notice. The governor called on people not to go out unless necessary, and reminded residents living in basements to temporarily move to higher floors for the night and stay away from waterlogging areas such as river beds and underground passages.

According to reports, this round of rainfall broke Istanbul’s rainfall record since 1985. At present, more than 8,000 rescue workers, more than 2,000 vehicles and equipment have been deployed locally to carry out rescue operations.