10 injured in explosion at trade chamber parking lot in Turkey’s Antalya

ANTALYA

DHA photo

Ten people were injured early on Oct. 25 in an explosion that occurred in the parking lot of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO) in southern Turkey.
The explosion occurred in a vehicle parked in the parking lot behind the chamber building at around 8:50 a.m., the Antalya Governor’ Office stated, adding that the cause of the blast remains unclear.

There were no casualties in the explosion but 10 people were slightly injured and transferred to nearby hospitals, according to the statement. ATSO Chair Davut Çetin told reporters at the scene that those injured were in a stable condition.

“There are no casualties as a result of the explosion. Ten people were wounded from glass cuts due to broken glasses shattered from nearby buildings. Findings on the cause of the incident will be shared with the public once they are reached,” the governor’s office statement read.

Earlier, Çetin had stated that the incident might have been caused by the explosion of a vehicle with an LPG system.

A number of ambulances, firefighters and police units were immediately dispatched to the scene after the blast. Police cordoned off the area and blocked entry to the parking lot, which is also usually available for use by locals as well as ATSO officials. Employees of the chamber left the building in panic after the explosion.

Antalya police chief Cemil Tonbul also arrived at the scene to coordinate the work of security personnel.

One witness told state-run Anadolu Agency that around 15 cars were damaged after the huge explosion, with scattered hoods of vehicles and glasses of the chamber building.

The Antalya 1st criminal court of peace demanded a gag order on the explosion shortly after it occurred, after which the order was issued on the website of Turkey’s media watchdog the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

Doğan News Agency reported that ATSO Board Member Hüseyin Barut announced that a meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. at the chamber, due to be attended by Antalya Mayor Menderes Türel, had been canceled.