Members of the public scramble for saftey as the explosion rocks Sultanahmet
Horrified witnesses have recounted how they saw body parts scattered on the floor close to the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul where a suicide bomb attack was launched. A suspected suicide bomber has launched an attack killing at least 10 people and injured 15 more after allegedly detonating the explosives in a bustling tourist area.
Horrified witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion this morning in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district.
As many as 10 people are feared to have been killed in the explosion with potentially 15 injured.
Some witnesses told how they saw as many as eight bodies lying on the ground in the seconds after the blast.
Ambulance at the scene
Local media has reported that German and Norwegian tourists are among those hurt in the explosion which ripped through the city this morning.
Ambulances, police and fire crews raced to the scene in the moments after the blast was heard and immediately began sealing off the area and helping people.
"We're taking precautions against a second explosion," one police officer said, ushering people out of the square.
Turkey's AHaber television said the blast may have been caused by a suicide bomber but this was not independently confirmed.
"The explosion was very loud. We shook a lot. We ran out and saw body parts," one woman who works at a nearby antiques store said.
It is not yet clear if the explosion is a terror attack, but many fear it could be the work of Islamic State thugs or Kurdish fighters.
According to reports in Turkey, police yesterday arrested three ISIS suspects who, it is claimed, were about to launch a terror attack.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known but some witnesses claimed a suicide bomber detonated a device.
This has not yet been confirmed by Turkish authorities.
According to reports, the blast happened close to the Sultanahmet tram stop and Dikilitas, the Obelisk of Theodosius - both of which are in the heart of Istanbul’s tourist district.
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