ANKARA - A number of people were injured in an explosion which occurred at a gas station in Incesu district of Ankara on Saturday.
The explosion happened while LPG was being discharged from a tanker at the ASC Gas Station.
Sources said that a wedding hall took place on the upper floor of the station, and the hall was full of guests.
Explosions have still been occurring in the area.
Nearby houses were evacuated.
Hospitals have been put on alert and all health personnel have been called back.
ANKARA POLICE CHIEF YILMAZ: ''WE DO NOT HAVE CERTAIN INFORMATION WHETHER A WEDDING PARTY WAS UNDER WAY AT THE TIME OF EXPLOSION''
Ankara Police Chief Ercument Yilmaz said, ''we do not have any certain information whether a wedding party was under way at the time of the explosion at the gas station in Incesu district.''
Yilmaz arrived in the scene of explosion.
Responding questions of journalists, Yilmaz said that they did not have any certain information whether anyone was in the building just above the gas station.
''We do not have any certain information whether a wedding party was under way at the time of the first explosion. At first stage, ten people were injured. They were rushed to nearby hospitals. Neighboring buildings were evacuated. We have been expending great efforts.''
Meanwhile, sources said that the explosion occurred in the LPG depot of the station and spread later to fuel oil depot.
Three explosions occurred one after the other.
People were injured especially in the first explosion.
The fire spread to roof of an apartment, which is across the gas station.
Fire-brigade teams have been expending great efforts to extinguish the fire.
Fire-brigade teams could not intervene in the building in which the explosion occurred.
Teams could succeed in intervening in the fire 45 minutes later.
Windows of neighboring buildings were shattered due to the explosions.
A number of ambulances were sent to the scene of the explosion.
Civil defense teams have been waiting for the fire to be taken under control to start search-rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the scene of the explosion.
Health Minister Recep Akdag told reporters in the scene, ''our ambulances took twenty-two wounded people to hospitals. Shortly after the explosion, people went to hospitals alone. In an half an hour, the situation becomes clear. I don't know whether anybody was killed. We requested help of the university hospitals for treatment of burns.''
110 INJURED PEOPLE
Health Minister Recep Akdag said late on Saturday that 110 people were injured in explosions occurred at a gas station in Incesu district of Ankara.
COOLING EFFORTS UNDER WAY
After the fire at a gas station in Incesu district of Ankara was distinguished, cooling efforts have begun.
Eyewitnesses said that citizens who rushed to the area after the first explosion were exposed to the second explosion.
Most serious injuries occurred during the second explosion.