Kufre George
At least six people have been killed and 53 wounded when an explosion rocked a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul.
Ambulances rushed to the scene on packed Istiklal Avenue, which police quickly cordoned off.
The area in the city’s Beyoglu district had been crowded with shoppers, tourists and families.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that initial signs pointed to a terror attack.
Some of the wounded in the blast were taken to the Okmeydani state hospital in the neighbouring district of Sisli.
There were numerous police officers on guard at the entrance to the hospital’s emergency room, but they declined to provide any information.
All entrances to Istiklal Avenue were blocked off by police as an investigation into the explosion is ongoing.
