Videos Show Moment Explosion Rocks Istanbul's Istiklal: 6 Dead, 81 Injured

Videos shared to social media on Sunday showed the moment Istanbul's crowded Istiklal Avenue was rocked by an explosion, leaving at least six dead and 81 injured, according to Turkish authorities.

Ambulances and emergency responders were seen in footage responding to the blast, which took place in midst one of Istanbul's principle commercial area. The avenue is lined with shops, restaurants and cafés, and is a go-to destination for tourists. Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay said later on Sunday that the blast was believed to be a terrorist attack, according to the BBC.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya tweeted on Sunday: "Our wounded are being treated. We wish God's mercy on those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the injured." The blast occurred around 4:20 p.m. local time. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the explosion as being caused by a "bomb" in remarks before his departure to the G20 summit in Indonesia, according Al Jazeera. He went on to say it was a "treacherous attack," vowing that the perpetrators would face repercussions. Erdoğan said six had died and that dozens were injured.

One video shared widely on Twitter shows the avenue, near to Istanbul's famous Taksim Square, filled with people before the sound of an explosion can be heard echoing loudly down the street. The crowd responds with confusion, with some visibly afraid and shaken as they start to run in panic.

"I was 50-55 meters away, suddenly there was the noise of an explosion. I saw three or four people on the ground," witness Cemal Denizci, 57, told AFP. "People were running in panic. The noise was huge. There was black smoke."

Some may find the following videos disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Another clip shows a crowd near the center of the blast talking with confusion, as it appears bodies are on the ground in the background, and people appear to be gathering around them to attempt to provide aide. Several people film the largely empty street as screams and yelling can be heard as well.

In an additional video, which appears to be shot from a balcony above the street, a body can be seen below with what appears to be blood surrounding it. Several people are attending to the body.

Meanwhile, another clip circulating online shows emergency responders near the scene. The iconic McDonald's logo can be seen in the left of the frame.

CCTV footage directly from scene of the explosion showed a large crowd of people walking casually down the avenue in both directions. Then the screen is clouded over by the blast, as debris flies and a number of people appear to collapse to the ground.

The State Department, when reached for comment on Sunday, referred Newsweek to a tweet by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the explosion in Istanbul today. We extend our sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and the Turkish people. The United States stands united with our Turkish Allies," Blinken wrote.

Al-Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu said that many suspect that the explosion was the result of a suicide bomber.

"There are strong suspicions that this was a suicide bomb, but we don't have any official statement yet [on that]," Koseoglu said, according to Al-Jazeera.

Istanbul and other major Turkish cities have in recent years faced a wave of terrorist attacks from ISIS due to the country's fight against the extremist militant group in neighboring Syria. In the early hours of January 1, 2017, an ISIS gunman entered an Istanbul nightclub as party-goers celebrated the New Year. The gunman opened fire and killed 38 people.

Newsweek reached out to Yerlikaya's office for comment.

Update 11/13/2022, 10:38 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 11/13/2022, 12:26 p.m. ET: The death toll and number of injured were update. Additional information was also added.

Update 11/13/2022, 4:33 p.m. ET: The number of injured was updated.

Update 11/13/2022, 5:53 p.m. ET: Additional information about the explosion has been added.

Update 11/13/2022, 7:12 p.m. ET: A tweet from Blinken was added.