By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL -In breaking news from the national Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that initial observations indicate that a woman played a role in the explosion that happened on Istiklal Caddesi on Sunday at close to 4:30 pm local time. After the explosion, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya tweeted that a sudden explosion hit the heart of Istiklal Street at 4:20 PM. According to latest news reports, 6 people are dead and 53 are injured with more injuries expected.
The governor tweeted that the cause of the blast is still not known, though some reports indicate there may have been a bomber. The blast happened at the height of shopping and socializing on Sunday with a multitude of tourists in the vicinity of the blast, at the time.
Footage from various onlookers’ cellphones shows a panicked crowd running back and forth as a plume of fire rose from the street during the blast, witnesses said. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the blast and an earlier report from CNN-Türk, had a Turkish official saying there might have been a gas explosion. At this time, it appears that Turkish officials and the Turkish president are leaning toward the blast being a planned attack.
