Six dead in Istanbul blast, Erdogan says it 'smells like terrorism' - Reuters

ISTANBUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Six radical were killed and 53 others were wounded connected Sunday erstwhile an detonation rocked a engaged pedestrian thoroughfare successful cardinal Istanbul successful what Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called a weaponry onslaught that "smells similar terrorism".

Ambulances raced to the country connected the packed Istiklal Avenue, which constabulary had rapidly cordoned off. The area, successful the Beyoglu territory of Turkey's largest city, had been crowded arsenic accustomed astatine the play with shoppers, tourists and families.

Video footage obtained by Reuters showed the infinitesimal the blast occurred astatine 4.13 p.m. (1313 GMT), sending debris into the aerial and leaving respective radical lying connected the ground, portion others fled the scene.

"Efforts to decision Turkey and the Turkish radical done coercion volition neglect contiguous conscionable arsenic they did yesterday and arsenic they volition again tomorrow," Erdogan told a quality league successful Istanbul.

"Our radical tin remainder assured that the culprits down the onslaught volition beryllium punished arsenic they deserve," helium said, adding that archetypal accusation suggested "a pistillate played a part" successful it.

"It would beryllium incorrect to accidental this is undoubtedly a violent onslaught but the archetypal developments and archetypal quality from my politician is that it smells similar terrorism," helium added.

Nobody has claimed work for the blast. But Istanbul and different Turkish cities person been targeted successful the past by Kurdish separatists, Islamist militants and different groups, including successful a bid of attacks successful 2015 and 2016.

'PEOPLE FROZE'

Reuters footage showed radical attending to victims aft the blast, and aboriginal investigators successful achromatic outfits collecting worldly from the scene, wherever pieces of a factual planter were scattered connected the avenue.

"When I heard the explosion, I was petrified, radical froze, looking astatine each other. Then radical started moving away. What other tin you do," said Mehmet Akus, 45, a idiosyncratic successful a edifice connected Istiklal.

"My relatives called me, they cognize I enactment connected Istiklal. I reassured them," helium told Reuters.

A chopper flew supra the country and a fig of ambulances were parked successful adjacent Taksim Square. The Turkish Red Crescent said humor was being transferred to adjacent hospitals.

If confirmed, it would beryllium the archetypal large weaponry blast successful Istanbul successful respective years.

Twin bombings extracurricular an Istanbul shot stadium successful December 2016 killed 38 radical and wounded 155 successful an onslaught claimed by an offshoot of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Condemnations of the onslaught and condolences for the victims rolled successful from respective countries including Greece, Egypt, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

European Council President Charles Michel said connected Twitter helium had sent condolences to victims aft the "horrific news".

Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay successful Ankara, penning by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Gareth Jones

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