Seven dead in Turkish restaurant blast, gas canister suspected

ISTANBUL

An explosion at a restaurant in western Türkiye killed seven people on Dec. 30, with one official saying a gas canister may have caused the blast.

The governor of Aydın province told Turkish broadcaster CNN Türk that five others were injured, with one of them in critical condition. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ tweeted that one person who is “alleged to have caused the explosion” was detained and three prosecutors were investigating.

Gov. Hüseyin Aksoy said initial testimonies from a restaurant worker suggested there was a leak in a cooking gas canister, leading to an explosion at around 3:35 p.m. (1235 GMT; 7:35 a.m. EST).

Media also said there was a fire following the explosion in the Turkish doner kebab shop in the Nazilli district of Aydın. Footage showed fire trucks and ambulances at the scene.