Death toll exceeds 30 as megacity İstanbul overwhelmed by floods

Some suburbs in İstanbul were partially submerged, with rains leaving swaths of land awash. Floods swamped hundreds of houses and places of business and turned highways into rapidly flowing rivers. Television footage showed roads and highways on the European side of the city near İstanbul Atatürk Airport full of water. Firefighters recovered two bodies following flash floods that gushed across an İstanbul highway. The bodies were found at a gas station near a main arterial road where dozens of people were stranded in vehicles. Rescuers recovered seven other bodies at a truck parking lot off the highway. The drivers were reportedly sleeping in their vehicles.

Seven women -- all workers at a textile factory -- were killed in Halkalı when they were swept away by fast-moving waters as they left a van that had just brought them to work. Fifty were saved by firefighters.

Two workers at another textile factory were also found dead in the same area. İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler confirmed 16 of the deaths, but did not provide details on the other seven deaths. He added that eight people were missing.

Nine other people were killed on Tuesday in flooding in İstanbul suburbs and a town in nearby Tekirdağ province, which raises the overall toll in floods that hit northwestern Turkey to at least 32 in two days. Authorities, however, fear that more dead bodies may be recovered once water is cleared from the streets.

The rain also caused heavy damage to houses and infrastructure in northwestern Turkey, where the two bridges were demolished on the Bahçeköy-Saray highway.

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Among the areas most affected by heavy rains were İkitelli, Çatalca, Silivri, Sultangazi, Gaziosmanpaşa, Arnavutköy, Cebeci, Eyüp, Esenler and Bağcılar. Floods also paralyzed life in northwestern Tekirdağ and Edirne provinces.

Hundreds of people stranded in their vehicles were saved by search-and-rescue teams. The teams rescued 670 people in Silivri, 314 people in Çatalca and 50 people in İkitelli. Search and rescue efforts were assisted by 862 personnel, 228 vehicles, 104 motor-pumps, four military helicopters and 30 boats.

As waters rose more than a meter high in the city's İkitelli district, motorists climbed on roofs of their vehicles waiting to be rescued. The floods occurred in the early hours as people began making their way to work, washing over a main road linking the city to an industrial area, an airport and a highway to Greece.

The heavy rains caused two İstanbul streams to swell and overflow, also inundating dozens of homes and workplaces. İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş interpreted the İstanbul floods as an ecological doomsday.

“In an hour, İstanbul received 205 kilograms of rainwater per square meter. This is the strongest rain İstanbul has experienced in 80 years. Unfortunately, the conclusion we have arrived at is that today is an ecological doomsday,” Topbaş said at the press conference held in the Disease Coordination Center (AKOM) in İstanbul.

He said human beings are now paying the price for polluting the earth, recalling similar natural disasters in America and Europe in previous years.

The mayor warned locals against rain on Friday, expected to be far heavier than rain İstanbul faced over the last two days, and said all should be more careful and take precautions. Topbaş also noted that the unusually large amounts of rainfall will require unprecedented precautions to be taken, adding that people living in flood-prone districts may be asked to leave their homes.

Minister of Public Works and Housing Mustafa Demir expressed sadness over the loss of life in the disaster. “There are still some people who are missing, and we are searching for them. There is significant damage to infrastructure. We need to be more careful when designing infrastructure and our cities,” he added. İstanbul Deputy Governor Hikmet Çakmak described the scene in İkitelli as a “disaster” and said four helicopters and eight boats were sent to help stranded motorists.

Authorities blocked off roads leading to the highway, and people were being advised to avoid traveling in the area.

Waters receded in parts of İkitelli later on Wednesday, leaving a trail of mud. Insurance company Axa Sigorta Deputy General Manager Ali Erlat said damage from the floods could total $70-80 million.

In the meantime, Vodafone's central cell site in İkitelli was damaged by the torrential rain, failing to provide service to its customers. The GSM operator apologized in a written statement to its users for the inconvenience, saying service would return to normal by the end of the day at the latest.

Photos:

Partially submerged vehicles are seen after heavy rains in İstanbul September 9, 2009. A rescue helicopter evacuates people from a scene after heavy rain in İstanbul September 9, 2009. Rescue officers work on a partially submerged vehicle after heavy rain in İstanbul September 9, 2009. A rescue helicopter evacuates people from a scene after heavy rain in İstanbul September 9, 2009. A man waits for help as he stands on partially submerged vehicles after heavy rains in İstanbul September 9, 2009. Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday. Partially submerged cars are seen next to boats after heavy rains flooded Silivri, a town some 70 km (44 miles) from İstanbul September 8, 2009. Partially submerged cars are seen next to boats after heavy rains flooded Silivri, a town some 70 km (44 miles) from İstanbul September 8, 2009. Partially submerged cars are seen next to boats after heavy rains flooded Silivri, a town some 70 km (44 miles) from İstanbul September 8, 2009. People are seen on a flooded highway in İstanbul September 9, 2009. Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed 28 people and left swaths of lands in northwestern Turkey awash Tuesday