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At least four people died Monday when the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul was hit by a fierce storm with gale-force winds, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

Another 38 people were injured, AFAD said in a statement.

As of 8.30 pm (1730GMT), 1,517 calls were made to the 112 Emergency Call Center in Istanbul due to the storm, AFAD said.

Emergency services are working hard to get help to people in need, the governor’s office said.

Since Monday morning, the city – home to over 15 million people – has faced powerful winds which uprooted trees, ripped off rooftops and even toppled a clock tower.

State weather officials said the wind blew as fast as 129 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour) in the district of Beylikduzu, which also was pummeled by a short mud rain during the storm.

Some boats docked in Maltepe and Pendik suffered severe damage due to the storm, which also caused a cargo ship to collide with a pier at the Port of Ambarli.

Amid the storm, authorities took precautionary measures, cancelling sea transport and closing the Bosphorus Strait – which connects the Marmara and Black seas – to ship traffic in both directions.

Facing adverse aerial conditions, flag carrier Turkish Airlines sent at least six planes that were unable to land to airports outside Istanbul.