The exact circumstances are still unclear. An explosion occurs in a well-known Istanbul shopping street. At least four people died and many were injured. The Turkish broadcasting authority Rtük imposes a temporary news ban on media.
At least four people were killed and 38 injured in an explosion on Istanbul’s famous Istiklal shopping street. The governor of the Turkish metropolis, Ali Yerlikaya, tweeted this. The reason for the explosion, which happened at 4:20 p.m. local time, is still unclear. Rescue workers and the police are on site in large numbers, reports the state broadcaster TRT. Helicopters flew over Beyoglu and neighboring districts in the early evening.
At the time of the explosion, the pedestrian zone was crowded. A loud bang can be heard in a video shared online. Then you see flames and people fleeing. Other images shared on social media show shattered windows and people lying on the ground, as well as a large black crater. The street is a tourist hotspot in the European part of the Turkish metropolis.
People in the city have been urged to avoid the area. Surrounding streets should also be kept free of traffic, reports TRT, citing authorities.
The explosion was not reported in the Turkish media for the time being. The Turkish broadcasting authority Rtük imposed a temporary news ban on the media. Reports of the blast should be avoided to avoid fear and panic among the population, the letter said. The broadcasters CNN Türk and TRT, for example, then interrupted their reports on the explosion on the popular shopping street.
In 2016, a suicide bomber blew himself up on Istiklal, killing four people and injuring 39 others.
