Overnight reports are suggesting that as many as 38 people have lost their lives in the blasts that rocked Istanbul last night.
The explosions outside the Besiktas Vodafone Arena were heard on the Turkish champions’ own broadcast, and early reports indicated there were at least 20 injuries.
However, in the hours since, it has emerged that the causalities were considerably worse than first feared, with the BBC and Al Jazeera reporting 38 deaths, plus 166 others who suffered injuries in the blasts.
Al Jazeera reports that Turkey has declared a day of mourning following the incident.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said that early indications pointed to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a three-decade armed insurgency, mainly in Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast. Ten people have been detained so far, he said.
The attacks are thought to have killed at least 30 police officers as well as 8 civilians.
Besiktas’ English-language Twitter account has shared messages of solidarity, asserting that ‘terrorism will never destroy the spirit, courage and resilience of our people’.
Terrorism will never destroy the spirit, courage and resilience of our people.#Beşiktaş JK pic.twitter.com/yL44GfsncF
— Beşiktaş EN (@BesiktasEnglish) December 10, 2016
Most sincere condolences to our nation!#Beşiktaş JK pic.twitter.com/6ESJcv60rX
— Beşiktaş EN (@BesiktasEnglish) December 11, 2016
The explosions are understood to have taken place shortly after Besiktas’ 2-1 victory over Bursaspor in the Turkish Super Lig, with the BBC reporting that a car bomb and a suicide bomber were involved in a dual attack.
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