Bomb attack on Istanbul main street kills six, injures dozens, president says

A bomb exploded on a popular pedestrian street in Istanbul on Sunday, killing six people and injuring dozens, the Turkish president said. The explosion caused flames and people fled.

Footage posted online showed ambulances, fire engines and police at the scene on Istiklal Street, a typical busy thoroughfare popular with tourists and locals and lined with shops and restaurants. . In one video, a loud noise was heard and flames were seen as pedestrians turned and fled. Social media users said shops were closed and boulevards were closed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the blast a “dangerous attack” and said the perpetrators would be punished. In addition to the six dead, Erdogan said he had 53 more injured, according to information received from the governor of Istanbul.

Five prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the blast, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Turkey’s media watchdog has imposed temporary restrictions on coverage of the blast. This is a move to ban the use of close-up videos and photos of the explosion and its aftermath. The Supreme Council of Radio and Television has imposed similar bans in the past following attacks and accidents.

Turkey suffered a series of deadly bombings from 2015 to 2017 by Islamic State and outlawed Kurdish groups.