Several injured in explosion in central Istanbul: Turkish media | News

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Eleven people reportedly wounded in a blast on Istiklal Avenue, a pedestrian thoroughfare in Turkey’s biggest city.

An explosion on Istanbul’s popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue has injured 11 people, Turkish media has reported.

Footage showed ambulances, fire trucks and police at the scene in the Taksim area of the city on Sunday. The cause of the explosion was not clear.

“There are strong suspicions that this was a suicide bomb, but we don’t have any official statement yet,” Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said from Istanbul.

Broadcaster CNN Turk said 11 people were injured.

The avenue is a crowded thoroughfare popular with tourists and locals, lined by shops and restaurants. Social media users said shops were shuttered and the avenue closed down.

The explosion occurred at about 4:20pm (13:30 GMT).

More to follow.