A loud explosion occurred on Sunday afternoon in the busy shopping street of Istiqlal in the heart of Istanbul, Turkish media reported, with injuries and deaths confirmed.
The explosion occurred shortly after 16:00 (14:00 Belgian time) when Istiqlal Street was particularly busy, the private television channel NTV reported.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned on live television a "vile attack" that has left "six dead and 53 wounded," according to the latest report.
Video images showed a deployment of rescue workers and police. The area was evacuated.
It is not yet clear what caused the explosion. On Sunday evening, President Erdogan called it a "treacherous" attack, and vowed to punish the perpetrators.
According to the images broadcast by social networks, the explosion could be heard from afar, and was shortly followed by visible flames which immediately triggered a panic among passersby.
A large black crater is also visible in the images, as well as several bodies on the ground nearby.
