Heavy rain batters Western Turkey; flash floods in Istanbul

Thunderstorms and floods in Western Turkey caused traffic chaos on Tuesday bringing major cities like Istanbul to a standstill.

“This is a disaster’’, transport minister Ahmet Arslan was quoted as saying by private broadcaster CNNTurk.

Heavy rainfall across the city of Istanbul flooded metro stations and main roads with some cars being carried away by the current leaving many people stranded.

Several buildings, including offices and shops were flooded, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported, giving no immediate details on the financial damage.

The flash floods also hit the western province of Canakkale and other neighbouring provinces.

People have taken to social media to criticise the local authorities for failing to take measures on time and to complain about poor infrastructure.

The Istanbul governor’s office asked citizens to avoid travelling in private cars.

The Istanbul municipality separately warned of storms and the risk of flooding with heavy rain expected to continue throughout the day.

Videos on social media showed people trying to make their way through flooded roads.

CNN Turk shared footage showing a person trying to swim across a street in Uskudar on the Anatolian side of Istanbul.