At least 6 dead as explosion rocks popular pedestrian street in Istanbul - NBC News

ISTANBUL — At slightest six radical were killed and dozens much injured erstwhile an detonation rocked a fashionable pedestrian thoroughfare successful Istanbul, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday.

“The detonation mightiness beryllium a violent act. A pistillate is thought to beryllium involved,” Erdogan said successful a televised address, without providing details astir however helium had travel to this conclusion.

Vice President Fuat Oktay aboriginal updated the wounded toll to 81, with 2 successful superior condition, and besides said it appeared to beryllium a violent attack.

Vowing that the perpetrators would beryllium punished, Erdogan said 4 radical died astatine the country and 2 successful the hospital. He added that according to accusation helium received from Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya, astatine slightest 53 radical were injured.

Shortly aft the blast, Yerlikaya tweeted that it “occurred successful Taksim Istiklal Street,” a crowded thoroughfare lined by shops and restaurants, astatine astir 4:20 p.m. section clip (8:20 a.m. ET).

“Our wounded are being treated,” helium said, adding, “We privation God’s mercy connected those who mislaid their lives and a speedy betterment to the injured.”

The Turkish Red Crescent said humor was being transferred to adjacent hospitals.

Social media users said shops were shuttered and the avenue had been closed down. The area, successful the Beyoglu territory of Turkey’s largest city, had been crowded arsenic accustomed connected the play with shoppers, tourists and families.

Turkey’s media watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, imposed a broadcast prohibition connected sum of the blast astir an hr aft it occurred — a determination that prevents broadcasters from showing videos of the infinitesimal of the blast oregon its aftermath.

It has imposed akin bans successful the past, pursuing attacks and accidents.

Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, besides offered his “condolences to those who mislaid their lives successful the detonation connected Istiklal Avenue,” connected Twitter. 

Between 2015 and 2017 Turkey was deed by a drawstring of deadly bombings by the Islamic State radical and outlawed Kurdish groups.

Aziz Akyavas reported from Istanbul and Mithil Aggarwal from Hong Kong.