Heavy rain leads to floods, traffic accidents in İstanbul

Photos: AA

Heavy rains his İstanbul today (August 15), causing floods and traffic accidents in various parts of the metropolis.

A subway station was flooded in the Levet quarter of the Beşiktaş district, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA). Also, people had a hard time walking due to the puddles in the underpass heading to the subway station in Zincirlikuyu.

Videos shared on social media showed flooded roads in Beşiktaş, Çekmeköy and Aksaray.

Tram services were restricted to between Kabataş-Karaköy and Bağcılar-Sirkeci.

Beşiktaş Hakkı Yeten Caddesi'nde yollar nehre dönüşürken bir grup Vigo kuryesi mahsur kaldıklarını bu vidoyu çekerek duyurmak istiyor.#SağanaktaSiparişiDurdurun pic.twitter.com/buNYOll8qz

— Moto Kurye Haber-Yorum (@kurye_haber) August 15, 2022

In the Fatih district, parts of the historic Grand Bazaar were flooded and transportation from Eminönü to Sirkeci was disrupted due to water overflowing from manhole covers.

The Avcılar, Esenyurt and Beylikdüzü districts in the city's west were also heavily affected by the rains.

On the city's Asian side, the roof of a shopping mall collapsed in Beykoz. No casualties were reported after the incident. Some roads were briefly closed in Maltepe and Şile.

"100 kilos of rain per square meter"

Holding a press conference at the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said up to 100 kilos of rain per square meter fell in some parts of the city.

Nearly 6,000 personnel and 2,315 vehicles were deployed throughout the city, he said.

"We faced 90 to 100 kilograms of precipitation per square meter in Çekmeköy, and 80 kilograms of precipitation per square meter around Sarıyer-Maslak," said the mayor.

Meanwhile, the UMUT-SEN union called for a paid leave for motorcycle couriers due to dangerous conditions.

A platform reporting news on delivery workers, Moto Kurye Haber Yorum, called on citizens not to give orders, saying that many motorcycle couriers were left stranded due to heavy rains.

Bursa and Yalova

Rains also affected Yalova and Bursa, two other provinces in the Marmara Region.

Rains disrupted traffic and caused accidents. Some trees were toppled.

Geçmiş olsun Mudanya!

Burası Bursa Mudanya,

Asfalt ve beton kaplanan Bursa’da son beş yılda
33 milyon metrekare inşaata yapı izni verildi.

Hem #İklimKrizi,
hem de #AsfaltBetonBelediyeciliği olunca sonuç bu oldupic.twitter.com/4iVbfD3s8m

— 350 Ankara (@350ankara) August 15, 2022

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