Two killed in Turkey explosion

An explosion blew through an Istanbul apartment building today, killing two people and injuring six others in what police suspect was a deadly mishap as Kurdish rebels attempted to mix bomb-making materials for a future attack.

A police official said the two men who were killed were believed to be members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, adding that police were looking to confirm their identities.

The blast blew out windows in the five-storey apartment building and injured six other people as it threw glass and debris onto the street below.

The explosion was originally thought to have been an accidental natural gas explosion, but a natural gas team arriving on the scene said that was not possible because there was no connection in the apartment where the explosion occurred.

Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah told television crews at the scene that the explosion happened as something was being manufactured inside the apartment, but gave no further details. He said that the investigation was continuing, and an official announcement is expected later today on the exact cause of the explosion.

The separatist PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the European Union, has increased its attacks in Turkey recently.

The group has carried out numerous deadly bombings in Turkey since it took up arms in 1984.