Turkey: Two Dead and 2,727 Evacuated from Floods in Istanbul

Istanbul, October 15 (KUNA) -- Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Cevik announced that authorities received 8,815 reports in Istanbul due to heavy rains and floods, and that 2,727 citizens who were stranded by the water were safely evacuated. Cevik said in a press statement that citizens in need of shelter were hosted in government guesthouses, adding that 46,597 personnel, along with 2,288 vehicles and 14 boats, were still working on the ground. For his part, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul declared that the city experienced the heaviest rainfall in 84 years, noting that the resulting floods claimed two lives and injured three others. Gul urged residents not to leave their homes over the next two days except in cases of extreme necessity, explaining that the rain could continue for two to three days and that the soil had reached saturation, increasing the risk of road or building collapses. He announced an additional one-day extension of school closures, with school buildings to undergo comprehensive inspections over the weekend in preparation for resuming classes on Monday. The administrative leave for public sector employees was also extended by one day. The heavy rains that fell on Istanbul in recent hours caused flooding of roads, metro stations, and tunnels, disrupting traffic in wide areas. (End) T.A. / T.A.B.