Istanbul, Turkey— Three people were confirmed dead after heavy floods triggered landslides that buried homes in Istanbul on Friday, as rescue crews dug through mud and debris.
The deluge hit overnight and intensified through the morning. Streets turned into rivers in several northern districts. Hillsides saturated with water gave way, sending earth and rock onto residential areas.
Officials said the worst impact was in hillside neighborhoods where informal housing sits close to slopes. At least three houses were completely buried. Emergency teams pulled bodies from the rubble during the afternoon.
"Water came down like a wall, then the hill moved," a resident in the affected area told local media. "We ran. Some did not make it out." The man said his neighbor's home vanished in seconds.
Istanbul's governor confirmed three deaths and said search operations were ongoing for possible missing persons. AFAD, the disaster agency, deployed more than 200 personnel with heavy equipment. Dogs were brought in to search collapsed structures.
The city's mayor said rainfall totals exceeded monthly averages in just hours. Drainage systems failed. Several main roads were closed, and two metro lines were suspended after tunnels flooded. Schools in the hardest-hit districts were shut.
Meteorologists warned the low-pressure system had stalled over the Marmara region. More rain was forecast into the night. Authorities urged residents in landslide-prone zones to evacuate and avoid basements.
Damage assessments are underway. Power remains cut to hundreds of homes. Crews are pumping water from underground floors.
Rescue work continues under floodlights. The death toll is expected to be confirmed once all buried homes are cleared.
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
