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As we heard the blast at our office in Çukurcuma neighborhood of Beyoğlu district in İstanbul, we saw that people from various districts started to share on social media that they heard the same sound.
CLICK - EXPLOSION IN SULTANAHMET, İSTANBUL GOVERNORATE MAKES STATEMENT
In short, agencies started to report of an explosion in Sultanahmet. When we got on tram to reach Sultanahmet Square three kilometers far from our office, announcement was made that Eminönü-Beyazıt service has been cancelled.
When we started to walk toward the square, we heard an artisan saying to two worried tourists, “Here is safe, it doesn’t happen twice”.
We saw that Sultanahmet Square has been contained by police and that there were special operation units around the cordon. Fire brigade and ambulances could be seen in the square.
The eyewitnesses whom we talked with right after the explosion have emphasized the volume of the explosion. They also noted that police, fire brigade and medical teams arrived in a short time.
It was asserted that the explosion happened near Alman Çeşmesi (German Fountain) within a tourist group.
“School windows have cracked”
Five students from Sultanahmet Suphi Paşa High-school told that they didn’t go to school, they heard the blast as they were close to explosion area, and they saw three lifeless bodies on the ground.High-school students on one of the streets going up to Dikilitaş in Sultanahmet Square explained what they witnessed.
The student also noted that school windows have cracked.
“Body pieces fell on my chestnut wheel”
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Chestnut seller Mehmet Nezih Kezer said, “I was 30 meters away from the blast. Body pieces fell on the [chestnut] wheel with the explosion. I saw five, six bodies, and ran away right away. There was a strange smell of powder”.
There was blood stain on Keser.
“One ran, the explosion followed it”
Artisan named Korkut Kale said a bearded man started to run towards him as he was by the tram station, and the explosion followed it. He added that undercover police officers have detained that person.
“I thought it was an earthquake”
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Ahmet Kökoğlu doing carpet business in Sultanahmet said, “I heard a strong sound, the building trembled, I thought it was an earthquake. Tourists were fleeing the square, they had taken elder people’s arms. We didn’t enter the square as police warned of a second explosion. One of our friends looking at the square said he counted nine bodies”. (BK/YY/TK)