A 14-year-old boy died in Istanbul on Wednesday after suffering an electric shock during torrential rain that flooded homes, businesses and roads across Turkey's largest city.
The Istanbul governor's office said the boy stepped into a pool of water at Cukurbostan Park in the historic Balat neighbourhood of Fatih district. He was taken to hospital unconscious but could not be saved, and an investigation has been opened. Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz offered condolences to his family.
Emergency services received 2,518 reports between 6am and 8pm on Wednesday, including 1,277 floods, 15 landslides and 47 incidents of people stranded, the governor's office said. About 8,000 personnel and 2,000 vehicles and construction machines were deployed.
Governor Davut Gul urged residents to stay at home on Thursday unless necessary, told people in basement flats to spend the night on higher floors and warned them to keep away from stream beds and underpasses. In-person classes at public and private schools were suspended for Thursday, some public employees were given leave, and motorcycles were banned from the roads from 9pm on Wednesday until further notice.
Al Jazeera, citing Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, reported that more than 800 homes, 280 businesses and 76 vehicles were affected, and that floodwater reached two hospitals and the Haciosman metro station. The heaviest rain, nearly 194mm, fell in Omerli in Beykoz on the Asian side. Acting mayor Nuri Aslan said parts of the city received nearly 100mm in 12 hours.
As of 8pm no roads were closed, airport runways were operating and no flight cancellations had been reported, the governor's office said. Turkey's Interior Ministry has warned of sudden flooding in several provinces.