Six dead, Many injured as Explosion rocks Istanbul

At least six people have been killed and 81 wounded in an explosion in a busy area of central Istanbul, Turkish authorities have said.

The blast happened at about 16:20 local time (13:20 GMT) on a shopping street in the Taksim Square area, the Turkish city’s governor Ali Yerlikaya said.

On Sunday, ambulances raced to the scene on the packed Istiklal avenue, which police had quickly cordoned off. The area, in the Beyoglu district of Turkey’s largest city, had been crowded as usual at the weekend with shoppers, tourists, and families.

Speaking before his departure to the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia on Sunday, Erdogan said the explosion appeared to be a “heinous attack” and pledged that its perpetrators would be punished.

“Our people can rest assured that the culprits behind the attack will be punished as they deserve,” he said at a press conference, adding that initial information suggested “a woman played a part” in it.

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“It would be wrong to say this is undoubtedly a terrorist attack, but the initial developments and initial intelligence from my governor is that it smells like terrorism,” Erdogan said.

BBC correspondent Orla Guerin, who is in the area, said there was a heavy police presence around Istiklal Street, which had been cordoned off.

Helicopters were circling overhead as ambulances went back and forth.

Many shopkeepers standing in their doorways on the normally bustling street looked stunned, she said, adding that the incident will have come as a shock to many in the city.

Eyewitness Cemal Denizci was about 50m (54 yards) away when he heard the explosion. “I saw three or four people on the ground,” he told AFP.

“People were running in panic… There was black smoke. The noise was so strong, almost deafening,” he said.