Antalya gas explosion kills 3, injures 1 person

A gas canister exploded inside the dining hall of the Murat Textile company, killing Tuğba Anak, 22, Aziz Demircioğlu, 60, and Faik Aslan, 60. The first two victims’ bodies were completely burned, said the officials. Doorkeeper Mustafa Kınay, 62, was severely burned and was sent to the hospital.

The head of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department, Emin Pehlivan, said firemen reached the area four minutes after the explosion. He said Fireman Ömer Selçuk was also injured as a result of a glass cut during the rescue work. "The explosion occurred at 8:30 a.m. and a fire started in the building located on İsmetpaşa Street. Firemen extinguished the fire," Muratpaşa Head Administrator Fatih Kocabaş said. He said the explosion was caused by a compression of gas that was triggered by flipping an electricity switch.

Mazlum Petek, 52, a restaurant owner on the same street said first he heard the explosion and then the fire blew out of the building’s windows.

The factory reportedly was producing swimming costumes. The investigation was ongoing when the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to print.

Explosion in Istanbul injures three

There was also an explosion in a café in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district Wednesday that injured three people, private broadcaster NTV reported Wednesday. The explosion occurred in the kitchen of the café.

"It has been determined that the explosion was caused by a gas canister," Gov. Muammer Güler said on NTV yesterday. "We know that it was not a terror-linked attack," he said.

The cafe's owner, his daughter and a client were treated for burns in the hospital. The explosion also caused serious property damage.

The head of the Istanbul Fire Department, Ali Karahan, also confirmed the cause of the blast, adding the building was evacuated as a safety measure.Bakırköy Head Administrator Dursun Ali Şahin said using a gas canister in the cafe was not allowed but the café had an operating license, reported Anatolia news agency.

"The café was closed down for the past two days and a gas canister exploded while the owners were cleaning the kitchen," said Bakırköy Mayor Ateş Ünal Erzen.

The café was located at the basement of a five-story building and some parts of the building collapsed as a result of the explosion. The injured people were taken to the hospital.

The electricity and gas supply was stopped in the neighborhood right after the blast, officials said.

Hüseyin İşçi, a witness, told news channel 24 that the blast occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the Zeytinlik neighborhood, which is a very central and crowded area. He said because the café was very close to the Red Crescent center, three ambulances came to the scene immediately. The café was in the central district of Bakırköy on Istanbul's European side, which is a mixed business and residential area.