An explosion near Istanbul’s Bayrampasa metro station today (Dec. 1) has injured several people.
There are conflicting reports from international and Turkish media about whether the explosion was due to a bomb or a faulty electrical transformer:
- District mayor Atilla Aydiner told A Haber television that five people were injured when a pipe bomb exploded on an overpass near the station, according to Bloomberg and CNBC.
- The cause of the blast is not yet known, a police official told Reuters.
- Broadcaster NTV said the explosion may have been caused by a bomb, according to CNBC.
- Haberturk TV said it was believed to have been triggered by a transformer.
- Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said at least one person was slightly injured, and the cause was not known, the Associated Press reported.
- The AP also cited a photo from Turkey’s Dogan news agency showing “a white van on the overpass, with large holes in its windshield, apparently damaged in the explosion.”
Tensions are high in Turkey, where the government’s conflict with Kurdish separatist groups has intensified after a peace deal collapsed. The country also suffered suicide attacks in the capital Ankara and a town near the Syrian border, both of which were blamed on the Islamic State. Turkey is also embroiled in a stand-off with Russia after Turkish planes shot down a Russian bomber along the Turkey-Syria border, under disputed circumstances.