TURKEY: PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN VISITS SCENE OF MASSIVE EXPLOSION AT AN ANKARA PETROL STATION AND MEETS SOME OF THE VICTIMS OF THE BLAST

Record ID: 217795

  • Title: TURKEY: PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN VISITS SCENE OF MASSIVE EXPLOSION AT AN ANKARA PETROL STATION AND MEETS SOME OF THE VICTIMS OF THE BLAST
  • Date: 5th July 2003
  • Summary: (W8) ANKARA, TURKEY (JULY 5, 2003) (REUTERS) NIGHT SHOTS 1. VARIOUS OF BURNING PETROL STATION (4 SHOTS) 0.25 2. SV: FIRE FIGHTER EXTINGUISHING FIRE WITH WATER HOSE 0.31 3. MV: FIRE ENGINES AT SCENE 0.38 4. MV: MORE OF FIRE BURNING 0.44 5. SV: BANDAGED MAN WALKING NEAR AMBULANCE 0.49 6. VARIOUS OF INJURED INSIDE HOS
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Reuters ID: LVA77KV18889256VUWI04HAQLHTP
  • Story Text: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited
    the scene of a massive explosion at an Ankara petrol station
    and met some of the victims injured in the blast.


    A massive explosion ripped through a Turkish petrol
    station in central Ankara on Saturday (July 5), injuring 110
    people, most of them guests at a wedding in a hall above the
    station, officials said.

    A massive fireball engulfed the building and flames spread
    to nearby homes in the working-class neighbourhood before
    firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, about an hour
    and a half after the explosion.

    Health Minister Recep Akdag told reporters 110 people had
    been hurt and that no one had been killed.

    Ankara governor Yahya Gur told reporters at the scene
    rescue workers did not believe any of the wedding guests were
    trapped inside the building.

    The wedding hall was full at the time and had a capacity
    of about 300 people, the state-run Anatolian news agency said.

    Local residents loaded victims into cars to drive them to
    nearby hospitals before ambulances arrived, Akdag said.

    A tanker was depositing liquid petroleum gas (LPG) at the
    station when the blast occurred, Gur said.

    One eyewitness told Anatolian a second, more violent blast
    occurred about 15 minutes after the initial explosion. Three
    other smaller blasts ripped through the building.

    Ahmet Akcibasi, one of the men injured in the explosion,
    said: "After the second explosion I could not run away further
    and lied down, then I burnt and became like this."
    Officials said several bystanders were hurt as they rushed
    to the scene to help victims.

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the scene of
    the blast and a nearby hospital. He said authorities would
    prepare regulations barring fuel stations from densely
    populated areas.

    "All I can say about this issue is that first of all these
    petrol stations will be removed from residential areas. We
    have spoken with the Justice minister about this and we will
    speak with municipal officials. It is obvious that we should
    remove these stations from the residential areas," Erdogan
    told reporters after meeting some of the victims.

    Erdogan also said he was relieved nobody died in the
    explosion.


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