Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1216 EAT on Thursday 15 October 2026
A 14-year-old boy has died after torrential rain battered Istanbul, flooding hundreds of homes, causing roads to cave in and bringing traffic to a near standstill in Türkiye’s largest city.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera shows surveillance camera images capturing the moment the boy was electrocuted after stepping into a puddle during heavy rain in the Balat area of Istanbul’s Fatih district.
The footage shows the boy walking through puddles at the entrance to a car park before suddenly collapsing to the ground.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office said the boy was taken to hospital unconscious but died despite efforts to save him. It added that an investigation into the incident had been launched.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül urged residents on Thursday to remain at home unless travel was necessary. He advised people living in basement apartments to spend the night on higher floors and avoid creek beds, underpasses and other flood-prone areas.
The governor’s office suspended classes across the city for Thursday and banned motorcycles from the roads, the Associated Press reported. Civil servants with disabilities and mothers with young children were also granted leave.
The motorcycle ban took effect at 9pm on Wednesday and would remain in force until further notice.
Türkiye’s Interior Ministry warned of flash flooding in several provinces on Wednesday and Thursday.
About 8,000 personnel, supported by 2,000 vehicles and construction machines, were deployed across Istanbul, a city of about 16 million people, according to Turkish outlet Daily Sabah.
Floodwaters inundated roads and underpasses, leaving vehicles stranded in several districts, including Esenyurt and Sultangazi.
Water also flooded homes, shops and basements, while emergency services received more than 2,500 reports of weather-related incidents, Turkish outlet Daily Sabah reported.
Authorities recorded 1,277 flooding incidents and 15 landslides, with 47 people stranded. More than 800 homes, 280 businesses and 76 vehicles were affected.
Sections of roads collapsed in the Eyüpsultan and Gaziosmanpaşa districts, according to Turkish news website Türkiye Today.
Local media also reported that passersby rescued a woman after floodwaters swept her away in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district.
Several neighbourhoods were affected, with roads submerged, vehicles stranded and homes and businesses flooded. Floodwater also reached two hospitals and poured through the ceiling of the Haciosman metro station. In Sultangazi, a primary school’s retaining wall collapsed while pupils were inside their classrooms.
No injuries were reported among the pupils.
The heaviest rainfall was recorded in the Omerli area of Beykoz, on Istanbul’s Asian side, where nearly 194mm (7.6 inches) fell, according to the Daily Sabah newspaper. Acting Istanbul Mayor Nuri Aslan said some parts of the city received nearly 100mm (3.9 inches) of rain within 12 hours.
Traffic congestion reached about 90% during the evening rush hour, while flights continued operating normally, the newspaper reported.
-Aljazeera
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