An explosion on Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue Sunday left as a minimum six human beings lifeless and fifty three others injured, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Addressing a press conference earlier than leaving for Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit, he stated that based on preliminary information from the metropolis’s governor, the explosion could be suspected act of terrorism.Initial observations also show that a lady played a position in the blast, he stated, adding that each one perpetrators will be recognized.

“Efforts to seize control of Türkiye and the Turkish nation through terrorism will not yield outcomes,” the president introduced.Earlier, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said the blast came about at round four.20 pm nearby time, with police and emergency officers despatched to the scene. The cause of the explosion turned into not at once clean.

Ambulances rushed to the scene on the packed Istiklal Avenue, which police fast cordoned off. The vicinity, in the Beyoglu district of Turkiye’s biggest city, have been crowded as standard at the weekend with shoppers, travelers and households.”When I heard the explosion, I became petrified, people froze, searching at every other. Then human beings commenced going for walks away. What else are you able to do,” said Mehmet Akus, forty five, a worker in a restaurant on Istiklal.

“My relatives called me, they recognise I paintings on Istiklal. I reassured them,” he stated.

The nearby Kasimpasa police station instructed Reuters all crews were at the scene but gave no similarly information.Local media said crime inspectors were at the scene and Anadolu reported that the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s workplace had launched an research into the blast.

While the reason of the blast changed into unknown, Istanbul and other Turkish cities have been targeted within the beyond by Kurdish separatists, Islamist militants and other businesses.

The Turkish Red Crescent said blood became being transferred to nearby hospitals.Turkiye’s RTUK regulator imposed a broadcast ban on insurance of the blast around an hour after it occurred.

“My condolences to people who misplaced their lives in the explosion on Istiklal Avenue,” Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu stated on Twitter.

Images shared on social media at the time of the explosion indicated it can be heard from a long way away and that there have been also flames.

A extensive black crater is also seen inside the snap shots as well as numerous bodies on the ground close by.

Istiklal avenue turned into affected at some stage in a sequence of assaults concentrated on Istanbul in 2015-2016 claimed via the Dai’sh.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolence on the lack of valuable lives on the behalf of people and government of Pakistan.”I have learnt with deep anguish approximately the explosion at famous Istiklal road in the heart of Istanbul,” he wrote on his official Twitter manage.

“Govt & people of Pakistan specific inner most condolences to the brotherly people of Turkiye on the loss of treasured lives & ship prayers for the rapid healing of the injured,” he similarly said.

President Arif Alvi too condemned the explosion.