Turkish officials have reported that an explosion in a crowded location of downtown Istanbul resulted in at least six fatalities and 81 injuries.
The explosion occurred on a retail street near Taksim Square at around 16:20 local time (13:20 GMT), according to Ali Yerlikaya, the governor of the Turkish city.
According to vice president Fuat Oktay, the explosion was likely the result of a female terrorist act.
The offenders would face punishment, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He denounced the “vile attack” and claimed that “the stench of terror” was present during a news conference in Istanbul.
Istiklal Street has been sealed off, and according to BBC journalist Orla Guerin who is in the vicinity, there was a significant police presence in the area.
Ambulances were moving back and forth while helicopters flew overhead.
She said that several store owners who were standing in their doors on the typically busy area were astonished and that the episode will have shocked many people in the city.
A lady who was at an internet café on Istiklal Street when the explosion happened described the aftermath as being “frenzied.”
She told the BBC, “I saw wounded people rolling about, and there was a woman cradling her dog.
“In a panic, people were rushing… The smoke was dark. The explosion was so loud that it was nearly deafening, “Cemal Denizci, another eyewitness, spoke to AFP.
The Boulevard, which is a major thoroughfare and frequently bustling with consumers, was previously attacked by a suicide bomber in 2016.
AFP/BBC
