ISTANBUL, July 27 (Xinhua) -- A heavy rain mixed with hail hit Istanbul on Thursday afternoon, causing havoc across the most populous city in Turkey.

The wall of a cemetery in central Istanbul collapsed in the rain, leaving two injured, the Haberturk TV reported.

According to CNNTurk, however, there could be more trapped under the rubble.

Several fires broke out after lightning struck parts of the city, while the downpour sparked flash flooding, making a usually congested traffic even worse during the evening rush hour.

Press reports said public transport across the city was halted to a large extent for a while, and metro and tramp services as well as ferry shuttles between the Asian and European parts of the metropolis were also suspended.

Some trees were uprooted or had branches broken, the reports said.

Istanbul was last hit by heavy rain on July 18, when its roads and metro network were seriously flooded. Enditem

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