The key facts
- The death toll from the Istanbul floods has risen to eight: six in the city, two from the province of Kocaeli
- The downpours were the heaviest since records began in 1942
- About 2,000 homes and 900 businesses were seriously damaged; the search for one missing person continues
Death Toll Rises to Eight
The death toll from floods in Istanbul and its surroundings has risen to eight, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said on Monday. Rescue teams found new bodies after Turkey's largest city was hit by the heaviest downpours in more than 80 years. According to the governor, six people died in Istanbul, while the bodies of two more people from the neighboring province were washed up on the southeastern outskirts of the metropolis.
Search Operations
On Wednesday, the city was hit by a historic downpour which, according to the authorities, was the heaviest since records began in 1942. The rainfall caused chaos and flash floods: footage shows cars and people being swept away by fast-moving water. By Thursday, Gul had reported three dead and five missing. Among the dead was a 14-year-old boy who was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle. A fourth body was found on Friday and a fifth on Sunday in the Golden Horn inlet; both victims were men, the state agency Anadolu reported. On Monday, the governor's office said the body of another previously missing man was found near the Ayvansaray ferry pier on the Golden Horn.
Casualty and Damage Figures
“In Istanbul, a total of six people died, one is listed as missing,” Gul told journalists, adding that two more died outside Istanbul, in the neighboring province of Kocaeli. “The two victims in Kocaeli were swept away by the water as far as Pendik and were found by our search and rescue teams. Thus, a total of eight bodies have been found,” he noted, adding that the search for one more missing person is ongoing.
Scale of Damage and Payments
According to the governor, the authorities have received almost 20,000 reports of property damage from the downpours and floods. “We went through a disaster for which about 19,300 reports with various types of problems have been filed. So far, it has been established that about 2,000 homes and roughly 900 businesses have been seriously damaged,” he said. On Friday, the authorities paid 10,000 Turkish lira (about 180 euros) each to 5,200 affected residents, and on Monday the same amount will be paid to another 2,500 people.
