{
  "id": 17271002,
  "title": "'An era of multiple disasters': How concrete and construction caused Istanbul to flood",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/an-era-of-multiple-disasters-how-concrete-and-construction-caused-17271002",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T18:02:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/30/an-era-of-multiple-disasters-how-concrete-and-construction-caused-istanbul-to-flood/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Istanbul is grappling with the aftermath of historic flooding, caused by the heaviest rain in 80 years. Eight people lost their lives, including one electrocuted and others swept away by high floodwaters. The city's rapid expansion, characterized by luxury high-rise buildings and concrete infrastructure, has encroached upon natural waterways, leaving no room for the rain to drain. As a result, the Ayazaga district experienced destructive floodwaters that submerged a bus and trapped its passengers for hours. The floodwaters ruined an electrical goods repair shop, destroying 40 computers and six million liras worth of stock and equipment. Families like Gulshah Aktan's, who survived the flood, now find themselves in dire financial straits, struggling to reopen their businesses with ruined equipment and no insurance coverage. Experts warn that the city's development has ignored the natural forces of nature, leading to inevitable destruction from extreme weather events. Despite ambitious climate pledges, Turkey still grapples with containing the catastrophic effects of weather extremes.",
  "summary": "Gulshah Aktan feels lucky to be alive after flood waters trapped her in a bus for four and a half hours. Grey water swirled around her legs before locals in the Ayazaga district of northern Istanbul were able to pull her and other passengers to safety. “We thought we were going to die,” Ms Aktan, 28, told The National . She and her aunt Dilek survived, but the family’s electrical goods repair…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}