Marmara Region Floods In Turkey Leave Nine Dead, Homes Submerged, Emergency Response Continues

Istanbul, Turkey— An inundation emergency continued across Turkey's Marmara region on October 25, 2026, with the death toll reaching nine as floodwaters submerged homes, factories, and highways.

Heavy rain began late Friday and intensified Saturday, dumping 180 to 220 millimeters in parts of Bursa, Yalova, and Tekirdağ provinces. Rivers including the Nilüfer and Ergene overtopped. Storm drains backed up in low-lying suburbs of Istanbul's outskirts. Water entered first floors and basements.

AFAD, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, said nine fatalities were confirmed: three in Bursa when a car was swept off a road, two in Tekirdağ in a collapsed wall, and four in Balıkesir and Çanakkale districts in separate incidents. More than 60 people were injured, mostly from traffic accidents and falls.

More than 1,200 personnel were deployed with boats, pumps, and helicopters. In Bursa's Kestel district, workers used excavators to breach a dike to relieve pressure on a flooded industrial zone. In Yalova, a coastal road was cut by a landslide triggered by saturated soils.

A resident in Bursa said, "Water came up to the windows in twenty minutes. We put children on the roof." Schools were closed in three provinces. Ferry services across the Marmara Sea were suspended due to high waves and reduced visibility.

Istanbul's governor said the city's European side saw localized flooding but no deaths, with metro line M1 partially suspended after water entered a tunnel. The city's water authority warned against drinking tap water in some districts until testing is complete.

AFAD said 850 people were evacuated to dormitories and mosques. The Turkish Red Crescent distributed blankets, food, and drinking water. The Energy Ministry reported 15,000 customers without power, with repair crews unable to reach some substations.

Meteorologists said a cutoff low over the Aegean is funneling moist air into Marmara, a pattern that often stalls and dumps prolonged rain. More rain is forecast overnight, though intensity should drop by Sunday morning.

Prosecutors opened files on two building collapses to check for code violations. The emergency response will continue with damage mapping and pump-out operations through the weekend.