30.10.2026 00:09
After the flood disaster that struck Istanbul on October 14 and claimed the lives of 8 people, water flooded the indoor parking garage of the Vadi Istanbul shopping mall in Sarıyer Ayazağa. Many vehicles that were submerged in the parking lot remained covered in mud after the floodwater receded. As the damaged vehicles were towed out of the parking lot by tow trucks, those moments were captured on citizens' mobile phone cameras.
The flood caused by the overflow of Kağıthane Stream in Ayazağa caused major damage in the parking lot of Vadi Istanbul. Many citizens in the parking lot could not remove their vehicles from where they were for a long time.
VEHICLES IN THE PARKING LOT WERE BURIED IN MUD
In images that emerged in the parking lot after the floodwater receded, vehicles, including luxury models, were seen covered in mud up to their roofs. In the images, it was noticeable that the trunks of some vehicles remained open and the ground was covered with mud and puddles.
Moments when officials conducting damage assessments in the parking lot walked among the vehicles were also recorded. It was seen that debris carried by the water accumulated at the front of some vehicles.
DAMAGED VEHICLES ARE BEING MOVED BY TOW TRUCKS
Work was started to remove vehicles heavily damaged in the flood from the parking lot. Moments when tow trucks loaded with vehicles lined up in the parking lot's exit tunnel were recorded. Vehicles damaged by the flood in Istanbul began to be delivered from the parking lots where they were kept upon their owners' applications.
In its statement after the flood, Vadi Istanbul management announced that the parking lots were temporarily closed to use and that visitors could reach the shopping mall by public transport.
THE MOST SEVERE RAINFALL IN ISTANBUL IN THE LAST 84 YEARS
With the severe downpour that struck on October 14 and 15, Istanbul experienced one of the biggest flood disasters in recent years. Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi announced that in some areas rainfall reached up to 272 kilograms per square meter. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül also stated that this amount was the highest value measured since 1942.
Many districts, especially Sarıyer, Kağıthane, Beykoz, Fatih, and Zeytinburnu, were affected by the flood. Kağıthane Stream overflowed, vehicles were swept away in Ayazağa and Beykoz, and there were electricity, natural gas, and water outages in some areas. At Istanbul Airport, 51 flights were redirected to alternative airports while 19 flights were canceled. Face-to-face education was suspended in the city.
8 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES
According to the toll announced by Governor Gül on October 19, the number of people who lost their lives in the flood rose to 8, and search efforts continue to find 1 person. Gül, stating that 3,000 homes and workplaces in the city were damaged, announced that damage of approximately 60 million liras had been identified and that payments to entitled persons had begun.
After the flood, 3,055 people were rescued in Istanbul under AFAD coordination. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that a judicial investigation had been launched regarding the flood disaster.
ZONING DEBATE AT VADI ISTANBUL
After the flood, the zoning history of the area where Vadi Istanbul is located also became a subject of debate. Former IMM Assembly Member Hüseyin Sağ claimed that the project is located on the edge of Kağıthane Stream and within a forest area. Sağ argued that the zoning process for the area began in 2004, during Kadir Topbaş's mayoralty, at the IMM Assembly. Some experts also warned that areas whose names contain “valley,” “stream,” or “lake” could turn back into old watercourses during heavy rainfall.