ISTANBUL - Totally 27 persons died and 450 others were wounded in the strong explosions that took place in front of HSBC Bank`s Directorate General in Levent district and in front of British Consulate General in Beyoglu district of Istanbul on Thursday.
The first explosion took place in front of HSBC Bank`s Directorate General on Levent Buyukdere Street around 11.00. After ten minutes from that explosion, another strong explosion took place in front of British Consulate General on Beyoglu Tepebasý Mesrutiyet Street.
Many police officers and fire brigades came to the scenes while ambulances carried wounded persons to hospitals.
The 20-storey HSBC building was heavily damaged in the blast causing damage in the buildings and cars nearby.
In the explosion in Beyoglu, the garden wall of British Consulate General collapsed and a big hole occurred in the garden. The blast also caused damage in the surrounding buildings and vehicles.
Istanbul Public Security Operation Centre announced as of 16.00 local time that 26 persons including two policemen died, 450 people were wounded and 74 vehicles were damaged in the blasts.
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu told journalists while leaving Istanbul Security Directorate in the evening that they found another dead body in the Consulate and death toll increased to 27.
British Consul General in Istanbul Roger Short is thought to have died after the explosion.
The identities of 15 of 27 dead people as follows:
Adem Tezer, Yonca Bilgin, Ethem Dogan, Sedat Yesilyurt, Muhittin Sener Yilmazer (Kerem Yilmazer), Ahmet Baha, Aynur Erkoca, Ilbey Erdogdu, Huseyin Apaydin (police officer), Salih Capkin (police officer), Durmus Toprak, Candan Toros Anusavan, Ismail Ciftlik, Gulcan Boyun and Lisa Havortm.
According to investigation made after explosions, pickup trucks were used in both attacks.
The pickup truck which explodes in the entrance of British Consulate General seemed to belong to a food company and green in color and the bomb was put in food cauldrons.
The bombs are same type with those which were used in attacks against Neve Shalom Synagogue in Beyoglu district and Beth Israel Synagogue in Sisli district on November 15, 2003 and possibly hand made.
Istanbul State Security Court banned broadcasts which can violate the security of investigation.
(ÖÞ-GC-AÖ) 20.11.2003