On Sunday (13 Nov), an explosion rocked the congested pedestrian district of Beyoglu in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.
The blast killed six people with 81 others sustaining injuries. Officials have attributed it to the work of terrorists, and have made one arrest.
The incident has now become the first major bomb attack by terrorists in Istanbul since 2016.
Reuters reports that the explosion occurred on 13 Nov, in the crowded Istiklal Avenue of Beyoglu district in Istanbul, Turkey.
Source: Reuters
At the time of the incident, the area was busy with shoppers, tourists and pedestrians.
Reuters managed to obtain footage of the blast showing that it occurred at 4.13pm in the city. Marked by a loud noise, the explosion sent debris into the air and left several victims lying on the ground.
Source: CNN
A video clip of the attack has circulated on Twitter as well.
Hundreds of pedestrians then fled the scene, while police officers and medical personnel rushed in to handle the situation. The attack had killed at least six people, with 81 more injured.
According to Reuters, Turkey vice president Fuat Oktay visited the scene hours after the explosion to give the latest death and injury toll. He promised to resolve the issue “very soon”.
Authorities also reported that among the dead were a government ministry worker and his daughter.
Source: Reuters
Turkish Health Minister Dr Fahrettin Koca tweeted on 13 Nov, clarifying that the hospital has already discharged 39 of the wounded 81 victims.
Source: Fahrettin Koca on Twitter
Of the 42 hospitalised patients, five of them were still in intensive care with two in critical condition.
“We are doing our best to ensure that the injured recover as soon as possible,” he added.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan labelled the attack as one that “smells like terrorism”.
Source: BBC News
In a news conference, he said:
Efforts to defeat Turkey and the Turkish people through terrorism will fail today just as they did yesterday and as they will tomorrow.
Those responsible will receive the appropriate punishment, he assured, adding that initial information suggested a woman had “played a part” in it.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said a woman had sat on a bench for more than 40 minutes before leaving the scene minutes before the explosion.
CNN reports that he made the comments in an interview with A Haber news channel, stating that Turkish security forces were investigating her.
“There are two possibilities. Either that bag or plastic bag has a mechanism in it, it explodes on its own or someone detonates it from afar. All of these are currently under investigation,” he added.
On 14 Nov, Turkish site Anadolu Agency reported via Twitter that police have arrested the person who left the bomb causing the explosion, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.
Officials said she is reportedly a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), while two young men are also believed to be involved, Al Jazeera reported.
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Featured image adapted from Twitter and Reuters.
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