Istanbul firework blast leaves 19 dead, 70 wounded
Istanbul explosion kills 17
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Thursday, 31, Jan 2008 05:01
Two explosions at an industrial site in Istanbul have left at least 19 people dead, according to reports.
The incident occurred in the Turkish capital's western district of Davutpasa and saw nearly 70 wounded. At least four people are reported to be in a critical condition.
Istanbul's governor, Muammer Guler, ruled out a terrorist attack.
It was caused by an initial fire at an unlicenced firework factory on the fourth storey of the five-storey building, he suggested.
This then spread to the furnace of a textile and paint manufacturer elsewhere in the building.
Six bodies were pulled from the rubble. Footage showed debris strewn on the road outside the building, whose facade had largely collapsed under the blaze.
Eight of those killed are believed to have been onlookers observing the initial fire.
Criticism of poor industrial regulation by Istanbul's authorities has surged since the blast.
"Everything except bombs is being freely manufactured here," the AFP news agency quoted a shoemaker as saying.
The incident is believed to be one of the worst in Turkey since six people were killed in explosions at an Istanbul fireworks depot in 2005.