The death toll climbs to 28 in the Turkish capital's huge explosion, appeared to be a car-bomb attack
The death toll from Wednesday's explosion in Ankara has rose to 28 and the number of injured has standed at 45.
Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu said that 61 people were hospitalized after the explosion and most of them received outgoing patient treatment. The Minister also said the death toll at the scene might be at 20 or 21.
Only three, terminally injured in the blast, died later at the hospital despite frantic efforts by the medics at the intensive care unit, according to reports.
The media organisations said 14 hospitals across Ankara have mobilized to treat dozens, who sustained several injuries on their bodies. Officials fear the death toll could rise. The blast occured at 6:30 pm in a bussy settlement, which is home to military offices and military buildings, according to the private broadcaster TVNet.
The blast was resulted from an attack, which targetted shuttle buses carrying military personnel. Initial reports said that the explosion occured while a military convoy was passing through a road, connecting a main street to Ankara's İnönü Boulevard.
The Boulevard was closed to traffic after the incident.
The road, which was rocked by Wednesday's blast, is located just 1,5 km north of Kumrular street, which became a scene of the car-bomb blast which left five people dead on September 20, 2011. Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a group linked to PKK, had claimed its responsibility.
Once the explosion occured, two military vehicles were engulfed by fire, the reports said. The sound of explosion was heard from many spots around the capital including districts of Kızılay, Kavaklıdere, Gaziosmanpaşa, Dikmen and Çankaya . After the blast, a huge column of dark smoke rose from a spot, just 300 meter from the the armed forces' headquarters in the center of the capital.
It is unknow which terrorist organisation is related with the attack, which led a great panic in the Turkish capital. The motivation behind the explosion is yet unknown.
When the attack was launched, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was heading a high-level security meeting in his palace in the outskirts of Ankara, according to reports.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu left the summit and went straight to his party's main office to review the reports over the blast with his close aides. He is expected to hold a news conference later on the day, according to sources close to the ruling AK Party.
“We are looking into details of the blast," Davutoğlu said. The Turkish PM, who was originally scheduled to head for Brussels later on the day, canceled his trip to Belgium.
Ankara chief public prosecutor arrived to the scene to investigate the incident personally. Emergency crews and fire fighters rushed to the scene. The reports said at least 30 ambulances were sent to the spot. Paramedics are offering the pre-hospital emergency care to the injured.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals by ambulances for further treatment, the news reports said. Witnesses said another explosion was heard less than an hour after the first blast.
No group has claimed the responsibility of the attack. It is still unclear if the attack is related with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Police and bomb-disposal experts were put on terror alert after a tip-off from the security guards. It was defused by the squad.
The explosion come nearly four months after the twin bomb attacks which targetted a peace rally in Ankara. On October 10, 2015, two bombs exploded near the main train station in Ankara, killing at least 90 people and injuring 245 others. In early October, the death toll has standed at 102 and the number of injured has climbed up to 400 in twin bombings in Turkey's capital.
It was the deadliest-ever attack on the Turkish soil.
