Torrential rains that began yesterday morning have caused significant flooding across Baku, affecting various districts, including Sabunchu, Surakhani, Khazar, Binagadi, and Yasamal, as well as several central roads of the capital.
Many private homes and yards were flooded, and transportation in some areas has been severely impacted.
In Sabunchu, residents turned to live broadcasts to call for assistance, particularly for the evacuation of patients. Flooding in tunnels made movement difficult, and citizens laid down makeshift barriers of wood and bricks in some underground passages. Traffic on Heydar Aliyev Avenue was restricted as the tunnel under the Bagirov Bridge filled with rainwater.
Eldar Azizov, head of the Baku City Executive Power, visited affected areas and issued instructions to address the flooding. There have also been reports of people potentially drowning after vehicles were trapped in the tunnel in Sabunchu.
Several public buildings were damaged by the rain, including the Azerbaijan State Art Academy and the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, where water leaked into classrooms. At secondary school No. 123, part of the fence surrounding the schoolyard collapsed, leading to a temporary suspension of classes. In Yasamal District, a two-story house collapsed on Abdulla Shaig Street, but emergency services rescued the homeowner. Local authorities noted that the house was already located in a demolition zone.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations has been actively involved in flood response, working to drain water from affected areas, evacuate citizens, and ensure safety. According to the Ministry, 31 citizens have been evacuated so far, with operations continuing in various parts of Baku and the Absheron region.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Transport Intelligent Management Center has announced several road closures and traffic restrictions, including on key routes like Heydar Aliyev Avenue, Gara Garayev Avenue, and Tbilisi Avenue, due to congestion and flooding.
According to Gulnara Abbasova, a representative of the National Hydrometeorological Service, the rainy weather is expected to ease by the second half of the day on October 22 in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, with conditions improving across the country by October 23 and 24. Temperatures are expected to gradually rise, and the weather will be mostly dry.
