Two Irish killed in Turkey suicide blast

Two Irish tourists have been killed in a suicide bomb blast aboard a minibus in Turkey, according to the AP newswire.

The blast killed one other tourist and injured seven. All of the injured are British people. Six of them suffered serious injuries, a UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said. A seventh has minor injuries but officials are not aware of any British deaths, the spokeswoman added.

Pictures and footage of the minibus showed that it was blown apart in the blast. People could also be seen being carried away from the area.

Iham Nehr, who works at the Dias Hotel in Kusadasi, said the blast had occurred on a minibus which was part of the local bus system known as the “Dolmus”.

“It’s a very cheap way of travelling and is used by local people and tourists. The people on the bus were a mix of tourists and locals and the bus can fit about 15 or 20 people,” he added.

Police had cordoned off the area and were examining the wreckage, he added.

Some of the injured had been taken as far as Izmir while others were in local hospitals.

Turkish journalist Semih Idiz told Sky News that four people had been killed and 14 were in hospital, some in a critical condition.

Local reports said forensic teams were at the scene and police were investigating whether the PKK was responsible.

Erval Kahvevi, from the Eurostar restaurant in central Kusadasi, said the bus had been a public minibus which had left the central bus station and was heading towards an area known as Kadinlar Denizi, locally known as Ladies Beach.

A tourist guide to Kadinlar Denizi says minibuses depart from the centre of Kusadasi to Ladies Beach every five minutes.

Turkish newspaper Zaman online reported several dead and wounded.

It added: “The explosion occurred at 10.30am today in a commuter mini-van at a spot where another blast earlier had occurred near Ataturk Square.”