Six dead, 81 wounded as explosion rocks Istanbul s Istiklal Avenue

ISTANBUL – Turkiye’s popular Istiklal Avenue was rocked by a strong explosion, which left at least six people dead and 81 wounded, Istanbul’s governor confirmed on Sunday.

The city’s governor, Mr. Ali Yerlikaya, tweeted that police, health, fire and AFAD teams were sent to the scene.

Earlier, the Turkish media reported at least five dead and over a dozen injured in the explosion. The cause of the blast was not clear immediately.

Social media was quickly flooded with videos of the scenes when the blast ripped through the area full of pedestrians, mainly tourists.

Istiklal Avenue, historically known as the Grand Avenue of Pera, in the historic Beyoğlu district, is an elegant 1.4 kilometre pedestrian street and one of the most famous avenues in Turkey’s Istanbul city. 

This is a developing story.

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