Several people had been injured in an explosion that rocked the famous Istiklal shopping street which is popular with locals and tourists.
The cause of the explosion, which occurred shortly after 4:00 pm was not known. A source said that no fewer than f
“five to 10 people injured” and showed emergency services and police deployed to the scene.
Images shared on social media at the time of the explosion indicated it could be heard from far away and that there were also flames.
A wide black crater was also visible on the images as well as several bodies on the ground nearby.
Istiklal avenue was affected during a series of attacks targeting Istanbul in 2015-2016 claimed by the Islamic State group.