Boy, 14, Dies in Istanbul Floods as Schools Close for Thursday

Updated 08:45 UTC, Oct. 19, 2026. The death toll from the Istanbul flooding rose to six after maritime police found the body of a missing man near the Ayvansaray Ferry Pier at about 07:30 on Monday, the Istanbul Governor Office said. The body was identified as Hasim Ciritlioglu, who had gone missing in the flooding that followed heavy rain on Oct. 14. Search teams are still looking for one person who remains missing in Istanbul, the governor office said. In the Gebze district of Kocaeli, the flood toll rose to two after teams found the body of a second person from a vehicle swept away by floodwater. The two people found in that vehicle were Fatih Demirtas and Dogan Arslan, and the driver, Mustafa Deniz Ertas, survived, TRNC News reported. Counting the Gebze deaths, the combined toll in Istanbul and Kocaeli stands at eight.

Updated 07:20 UTC, Oct. 19, 2026. The death toll from the flooding in Istanbul rose to five after another body was recovered on Sunday, authorities said, in AFP reporting carried by News Central TV and eNews Malaysia. Media reports identified the latest person recovered as a national of Turkmenistan, and two people are still missing in Istanbul. Turkish Minute also put the Istanbul toll at five in its Monday headline. A new storm struck on Saturday night, flooding the Pendik district of Istanbul and the nearby city of Kocaeli. In Kocaeli, floodwater swept away a car, killing one person and leaving another missing, authorities said.

Updated 16:03 UTC. The death toll from the Istanbul floods rose to four on Friday, October 16, 2026, the Associated Press reported. Rescue teams found the body of a 66 year old man under a bridge in the Sariyer district on Friday. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci, visiting the Ayazaga area of Sariyer, called it the biggest flood disaster since 1942. He said authorities had logged 9,850 reports of damage and other flood problems, and that 46,000 personnel were working on cleanup. Before the body was found, Ciftci said four people were still missing.

Turkish Minute reported a different path to the same toll. It said the toll reached four on Thursday after a construction worker, Faik Senturk, died in hospital after falling into a well while pumping floodwater at a school construction site in the Beykoz district, and that five people in Istanbul were still missing, with one more missing in neighboring Kocaeli. The two reports do not agree on who the fourth victim was, and officials have not published a single reconciled list, so the toll should be read as at least four. Governor Davut Gul said 3,050 people had been rescued. Schools stayed closed on Friday for a second day, and forecasters warned of more heavy rain on Friday and Saturday. Environment Minister Murat Kurum, who visited Ayazaga with Ciftci, said dealing with building near waterways was essential and linked the disaster to climate change.

Updated 22:19 UTC: The death toll from the Istanbul floods rose to three on Thursday, October 15, 2026, officials said. A body found near a stream in Kagithane was the third death, after the 14 year old boy in Balat and a 34 year old who slipped while crossing a flooded road in Ayazaga. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said 2,727 people had been evacuated, and three people were reported missing in his update. Governor Davut Gul said 51 flights at Istanbul Airport were diverted and 19 were canceled, and schools will stay closed through Friday, October 16, 2026.

A 14 year old boy died in Istanbul on Wednesday after he suffered an electric shock in floodwater, as torrential rain flooded homes, businesses and main roads across Turkey largest city and forced schools to close on Thursday.

The boy was at Cukurbostan Park in Balat, a historic district on the European side of the city, the Istanbul governor office said. He was taken to hospital unconscious and could not be saved. An investigation has started.

The rain hit a city of about 16 million people. Floodwater swept away parked cars in some districts and left other vehicles stranded. Bystanders pulled a woman to safety as water carried her down a street, and firefighters rescued a person trapped in a flooded basement, footage aired by NTV showed. Water also entered parts of the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, the state run Anadolu news agency reported.

The response, in numbers

The governor office said emergency services received 2,518 reports between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. The reports included 1,277 flooding cases, 15 landslides and 47 cases of stranded people. About 8,000 personnel and 2,000 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment were deployed.

Rain gauges told the story. The Beykoz Omerli station on the Asian side recorded nearly 194 millimeters of rain. Stations in Sariyer and Arnavutkoy on the European side recorded about 125 millimeters. The Kagithane stream overflowed and shut the Kagithane Piyalepasa road tunnel for a time. In Sariyer, water entered homes and businesses and trapped vehicles on roads.

Schools shut, residents told to stay home

The governor office suspended education for Thursday, Oct. 15. State employees with disabilities and mothers with young children were placed on leave. Residents were advised to stay home unless travel was necessary, and people in basement flats were advised to spend the night elsewhere, the Associated Press reported. Motorcycles were barred from traffic.

A driver dies on Rhodes

The same stormy spell hit Greece. On the island of Rhodes, a 62 year old man died on Wednesday after a torrent of water swept his car onto a beach, Greek authorities said. The coast guard said his body was found near a small seaside village about 30 kilometers, 19 miles, from the town of Rhodes. Four cars were washed away. Authorities advised people on Rhodes and other Aegean islands to limit travel as heavy rain flooded streets and rivers overflowed, Reuters reported.

Why it matters

Istanbul floods fast when heavy rain meets steep streets, paved ground and old drainage. Wednesday total of about 100 millimeters in 12 hours, reported by the acting mayor office, is the kind of rain the city struggles to drain. The deaths in Istanbul and Rhodes also show the twin risks in flash floods: moving water on roads, and live electricity in standing water. Officials in both countries kept warnings in place into Thursday.