Five dead and at least 20 wounded in massive explosion in Turkish capital
The death toll in the Ankara blast has risen to 34, the Turkish health minister said.
A large explosion in the Turkish capital Ankara has caused several casualties, according to reports.
Five have been reported dead and 20 have been wounded in the explosion.
NTV television said the blast took place near a park at Ankara's main square, and that several cars caught fire.
Several ambulances and police cars have been sent to the scene.
BREAKING: Explosion near a bus station in central #Ankara, the capital of #Turkey. Reports of many dead and wounded. pic.twitter.com/LvoIB0s7AS
— H. Sumeri (@IraqiSecurity) March 13, 2016
NTV television said the blast took place close to bus stops near a park at Ankara's main square, Kizilay.
The news channel said the explosion occurred as a car slammed into a bus, suggesting that the blast may have been caused by a car bomb.
💥📸More photos of aftermath of an explosion in #Ankara, #Turkey. Casualties reported. pic.twitter.com/0b50wFYKcw
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) March 13, 2016
The explosion came just three weeks after a suicide car bombing in the capital targeted buses carrying military personnel, killing 29 people.
A Kurdish militant group which is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdish rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for that attack.
Police sealed off the area and pushed onlookers and journalists back, warning there could be a second bomb.
