Erdogan denounced the incident as ‘a vile attack’ and said the perpetrators would be punished as he hinted that it could be a terrorist attack.
A massive explosion ripped through Istanbul’s popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue on Sunday killing at least six people and leaving more than 50 injured in what President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted may be a terrorist attack. A chilling video has surfaced on Twitter that captures the moment the explosion occurred.
Other videos posted on social media show bodies strewn on the ground as emergency workers scrambled to evacuate people. When the explosion occurred at around 4:20 pm local time, the avenue lined with shops and restaurants was crowded with tourists and residents. No terrorist outfit has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion.
According to local media reports, four people died on the scene, while two succumbed to their injuries in the hospital after the massive explosion ripped through the Taksim Square area. As of now, 53 others have been injured, with more than a dozen seriously wounded. It is feared casualties will increase overnight.
Erdogan denounced the incident as ‘a vile attack’ and said the perpetrators would be punished as he hinted that it could be a terrorist attack.
