Heavy rain and flooding in Istanbul forces closure of schools

The Istanbul governor's office closed schools and put public sector workers on leave Heavy downpours caused floods, stranding vehicles and disrupting traffic ISTANBUL: Heavy rains caused floods across Istanbul on Wednesday, prompting the governor's office to close schools, place some public sector workers on leave and urge residents to stay home. Media reports said that the downpour flooded homes and businesses and inundated roads and underpasses, stranding vehicles and causing traffic chaos in the city of around 16 million people. There were no reports of any serious injuries. In one district, bystanders rescued a woman who was being swept down a street by the floodwaters, footage obtained by NTV television showed. Firefighters rescued another person who was trapped inside a flooded basement, the report said. Images showed several parked cars being swept by the floods in another neighborhood. The governor's office said that education would be suspended for a day on Thursday, and state employees with disabilities and mothers with young children would be placed on leave. It advised residents to stay home unless travel was absolutely necessary and for people living in basement apartments to spend the night elsewhere. Motorcycles, meanwhile, were barred from traffic.