At least 6 dead, 81 injured in Istanbul explosion: Turkish president

ANADOLU|ANKARA: An explosion on Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue Sunday killed six people and injured 81 others, the Turkish vice president said.

Fuat Oktay, who visited the blast site, told the press at Istanbul’s Taksim Square that the blast is considered a terrorist act, and a female attacker detonated the bomb.

Giving further details on the attack, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said a woman sat on one of the benches on the street for more than 40 minutes, and the explosion occurred just minutes after she got up.

He added that an investigation is underway, with possible scenarios being that a bag of explosives detonated automatically or through a remote control from a distance.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca updated on the conditions of the injured, saying 39 of the injured were discharged. Of the hospitalized patients, five are in intensive care, while the condition of two is serious, he added.

According to Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, the blast occurred at around 4.20 p.m. (1320 GMT) local time, with police and emergency officials cordoning off the scene.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just before leaving for Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit, said the bomb attack “smells like terrorism.” He said the country will not bow down to terrorism, and all perpetrators will be identified.

World leaders, including those from Pakistan, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy, Slovenia, Azerbaijan and other countries, have condemned the attack and sent condolences to Türkiye.