Explosion in Istanbul kills two, injures four

Istanbul: Two people were killed and four others injured on Thursday in an explosion in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul, according to the Istanbul Governor’s Office.

In a written statement, the office said the explosion took place in a building in Bahcelievler District on the European side of the city and was caused by natural gas compression, Xinhua news agency reported.

One of the injured is in critical condition, the office added.

Meanwhile, firefighters and healthcare units were dispatched to the scene while police cordoned off the street.

According to Turkish broadcaster NTV, firefighters took measures to stop the fire caused by the explosion from spreading to nearby buildings and evacuated some of these buildings as a precaution.

The explosion also caused the building’s debris to fall onto automobiles, the NTV reported, adding that an investigation into the incident has been launched.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)