At least 3 people have died and5 remain missing aftertorrential rain triggeredsevere flooding inIstanbul, Turkey, on Thursday 15 October. Officials described the downpour as the** heaviest in at least 80 years**.
Aerial footage shows streets submerged in muddyfloodwater inAyazağa, a neighbourhood on Istanbul's European side, with damaged cars, overturned vans and stranded trucks scattered across the roads.** Emergency crews** worked to clear debris and reach affected areas as residents struggled with the aftermath.
The floods have also disrupted essential services, leaving some households withoutelectricity,** running wateror natural gas**. Ayazağa residents said the rain began lightly before a** stream further upstream burst its banks**, sending a sudden torrent through the neighbourhood. Dozens of** vehicles were swept away**, traffic ground to a halt and authorities cut power and gas supplies in some areas as a precaution.
Amid the devastation, footage also shows a woman carrying a box of rescued kittens through the flooded streets, saying 3 others were missing. Rescue and clean-up operations continued as authorities assessed the damage caused by the extreme weather.