Massive rainfall hit the Turkish city of Istanbul on Monday, disrupting traffic all over the city, forcing road closures and requiring the shutdown of subway lines.
“We faced 90 to 100 kilograms of precipitation per square meter in Cekmekoy, and 80 kilograms of precipitation per square meter around Sariyer-Maslaki,” Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu told reporters during a press conference.
The 550-year-old Grand Bazaar, a popular tourist attraction, was flooded, and the roof of a shopping mall in Beykoz collapsed.
Videos posted to social media show water rushing through the Grand Bazaar while shocked shoppers take shelter inside storefronts.
Another clip shows cars floating helplessly in muddy water.
Roads in Besiktas, Cekmekoy, and Aksaray were also affected by the flooding, with a subway station in the Levet quarter of Besiktas underwater according to local media. Tram services were reportedly limited amid the chaos.
The districts of Avcilar, Esenyurt, and Beylikduzu in the west were said to be heavily affected, while roads in Maltepe and Sile on the eastern side were temporarily closed. The provinces of Yalova and Bursa were also affected by the freak weather, according to local media.
Workers’ organization UMUT-SEN union called for a paid holiday for motorbike couriers, citing the dangerous conditions, while customers were urged to hold off on large orders until conditions returned to normal. Nearly 6,000 personnel and 2,315 vehicles were sent out to attempt to restore order, according to the mayor.