Two explosions tore through the pro-Kurdish peace rally, killing 97 people At least 400 people wounded in the blast near Ankara’s main train station Third deadliest terror attack in Europe, after Lockerbie and Madrid bombs But peace protesters back out on the streets tonight in defiance of terror
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
By TOM WYKE and IMOGEN CALDERWOOD FOR MAILONLINE,
Turkish police have attacked peace protesters who had taken to the streets in a defiant gesture against the terrorists who set off two explosions at a pro-Kurdish rally earlier today, leaving 97 dead.
Thousands flooded the streets of the Istanbul, taking a brave stand against terrorists who targetted an earlier pro-Kurdish peace rally held in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The blasts tore through the crowd this afternoon, leaving up to 400 injured and at least 97 dead.
But police and protesters ended up clashing in the streets of Istanbul, with officers firing tear gas at marchers.
Horrific video footage has emerged of demonstrators holding hands and dancing, but their joy turned to terror as the blast erupted just metres behind them at 10.05am.
The explosion tore through the crowd of people, maiming dozens of innocent bystanders and leaving body parts and debris littering the road.
Pictures which emerged shortly afterwards showed torn fragments of flags and banners people had been waving just moments before littering the ground.
Witnesses described how the blasts, which are believed to have been a terror attack, shook the ground around the city’s main train station.
Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu initially confirmed that 62 people had been killed outright in the blast and a further 24 people had died in hospital.
But the figure is still rising, with the Turkish Medical Association claiming it has now reached almost 100 people and over 400 wounded.
The current death toll, which is expected to increase, makes it the third deadliest attack on Europe, after the Lockerbie bombings in 1988 and the Madrid train bombs of 2004.
Three days of mourning have been announced as the country grieves in the wake of the tragedy.
Emergency services have found themselves struggling to cope with the sheer number of wounded people in the aftermath of the blast.
The flags and banners which were being used to promote Kurdish rights in the demonstration were turned into makeshift stretchers by protesters tending to the injured.