Istanbul’s worst floods in 80 years leave 4 dead

ISTANBUL (AP) — Catastrophic flooding in Istanbul in recent days is the worst in more than 80 years, Turkey’s interior minister said Friday as the death toll rose to four.

Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with 16 million residents, was hit by more rain in the 48 hours up to Thursday morning than the combined historical average for September and October, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

“We are trying our best to help our citizens, but we are also experiencing the biggest flood disaster since 1942,” Mustafa Ciftci said during a visit to one of the areas hit hardest by Wednesday night’s downpour.

The body of a 66-year-old man was found Friday under a bridge in Istanbul’s Sariyer district. Three other deaths were previously reported, including a teenager who was electrocuted in the storm.

Homes and businesses were flooded as water covered streets and parks across the city. Vehicles were washed away and many ended up piled up at the bottom of hills.

Before the discovery of the body on Friday, Ciftci told reporters in Sariyer’s Ayazaga neighborhood that four people remained missing.

He said there were 9,850 reports of damage and other issues related to the floods and that 46,000 personnel were working to clean up debris and help residents in Istanbul.

The General Directorate of Meteorology later warned of “heavy and intense” rainfall for Istanbul and four nearby provinces over the weekend.

Murat Kurum, the minister for the environment, urbanization and climate change, accompanied Ciftci to the flood-hit neighborhood.

Addressing concerns that the floods were exacerbated by urban development close to waterways, he said that dealing with the problem was “essential.”

Kurum, who will chair the U.N. climate change conference, COP31, next month in the Turkish city of Antalya, also linked the floods to the effects of climate change. “Combating climate change is not a choice, but a necessity,” he said.