Record-breaking torrential rains pounded Turkey's largest city of Istanbul, causing casualties and a series of damages.

According to authorities on the 15th (local time), torrential rain that poured overnight reached 242.0 mm in the Beykoz district of Istanbul, 190.5 mm in the Eyüpsultan district, and 187.9 mm in the Sarıyer district, marking the highest level in 41 years since 1985.

With rain continuing to fall today, cumulative precipitation is expected to keep increasing.

Numerous videos were posted on social media showing swollen rainwater rushing down narrow and steep hill roads, sweeping away people and cars.

In some low-lying areas with poor drainage, muddy water rose above the waist of adults, paralyzing traffic and submerging numerous vehicles.

According to reports from daily newspapers like Hürriyet, a 14-year-old boy died the previous day in the Fatih district of Istanbul after slipping into a puddle in a park and suffering an electric shock.

In the Sarıyer district, a 34-year-old man was seriously injured when he slipped while crossing a flooded road and hit his head on a curb; he was later taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead.

In the Ayazağa district, about 200 people working the night shift at a workplace were trapped inside a building, prompting rescue teams to mobilize trucks and minibuses to rescue them.

Istanbul authorities mobilized 8,000 personnel to respond to the disaster while issuing a suspension of classes for all schools for the day on the 15th.

School closures also apply to nearby provinces such as Kocaeli, Sakarya, Yalova, Düzce, and Zonguldak.

The Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure stated that 43 passenger planes heading to Istanbul Airport the previous day were diverted to other domestic and international airports.

Three flights were also diverted from Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

An expatriate shared that residents in an apartment complex in the Sarıyer district, where many South Koreans reside, rushed to move their cars above ground after receiving a notice that the underground parking lot was flooding.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)