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No Georgian deaths reported from Istanbul Blast

By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, January 13
No Georgians have yet been reported among the dead or injured in the Istanbul blast in Turkey on January 12, which killed 10 and left 15 people injured.

"The General Consulate of Georgia in Istanbul is heading to the accident scene. We have not received any information about any Georgian victims at this stage. The international media is reporting that 10 were killed and 15 injured in the explosion," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia told Interpressnews.

Foreign tourists are reportedly among those hurt in the blast, which occurred in the city's historic Sultanahmet district, near the Blue Mosque.

Fifteen people were also wounded in the blast, the Istanbul Governor's Office said in a statement on its website. Some reports suggest the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber. Police have sealed off the area and the authorities are investigating the type of explosive used, the governor's office said.

Two suicide blasts in Ankara in October killed more than 100 people, and more than 30 people were killed in an attack near the border with Syria in July.