International

Five killed and 63 injured in huge explosion at Turkish restaurant

Five people were killed and at least 63 injured in a gas explosion at a restaurant in Turkey on Sunday, the country's interior minister said, writes the local press.

Horrifying footage shared on Twitter/X showed the moment a huge explosion near a Sunday market sent debris flying through the Fevzi Çakmak neighbourhood in Torbalı, Izmir, on the Aegean coast.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Twitter/X the blast is believed to have been caused by an industrial gas cylinder exploding at a restaurant. Victims were taken to several hospitals nearby - with at least one person still in 'serious' condition.

Yerlikaya confirmed an investigation had been ordered as multiple ambulances and rescue teams were sent to the scene - as locals have been evacuated and placed in social housing over fears of possible structural damage to buildings still standing.

The blast, which happened in the town of Torbali south of the city of Izmir, was so powerful that it was heard for miles around, the Anadolu news agency reported.

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