Istanbul explosion kills at least 6 people, dozens injured

At least six people were killed, and dozens more are wounded, after an explosion on a busy pedestrian street in Istanbul on Sunday.

Footage posted online showed ambulances, fire trucks and police at the scene on İstiklal Avenue, a typically crowded thoroughfare popular with tourists and locals.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called the blast a “treacherous attack” and said its perpetrators would be punished. In addition to the six dead, Erdogan said another 53 were wounded, according to information he received from the Istanbul governor.

“It would be wrong to say this is undoubtedly a terrorist attack, but the initial developments and initial intelligence from my governor is that it smells like terrorism,” Erdogan said about the explosion.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear and an investigation is underway.