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Deadly Freak Storm Hits Istanbul | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A pedestrian carries a child in a pushchair as he crosses a street after a heavy downpour of rain and hail at Besiktas near Istanbul on July 27, 2017 CREDIT: BULENT KILIC/AFP


A freak storm has caused injuries in Istanbul and shocking photos showed the damage to a passenger jet which was pummeled with hail stones and big as golf balls.

At least ten people have been injured as heavy rain, hail and strong winds knocked down trees and a stone wall and flooded streets in the Turkish city.

Sabah Daily reported an old cemetery wall adjacent to a busy street collapsing, wounding at least two people. Footage showed rescue crews and residents helping each other to remove the stones, looking for people who may have been trapped beneath the rubble.

The storm lasted just 20 minutes on Thursday evening but was enough to cause significant damage and flooding.

According to officials, 7,000 emergency workers were deployed to help in the aftermath of the storm which uprooted 230 trees, destroyed 90 roofs and sparked fires across the city.

Also, an explosion and a fire were caused when strong winds toppled a large crane that landed on oil barrels at a port. At least one person was injured in the fire.

Flights at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport were canceled and metro services were suspended, officials said.

Just nine days ago, Istanbul was pounded by heavy rains and winds of up to 50mph, which flooded streets and metro stations.