India condoles Istanbul blast deaths, wishes injured speedy recovery

India on Sunday (13) expressed "deepest condolences" to the government and people of Turkey over the "tragic loss of lives" in an explosion in Istanbul, the country's largest city.

In a tweet, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Indian ministry of external affairs said, "India conveys its deepest condolences to the Government and people of Türkiye on the tragic loss of lives in the blast that took place in Istanbul today."

"Our sympathies are also with those who sustained injuries. We wish them a speedy recovery," he added.

At least six people were killed while 81 were left injured in the blast that rocked a busy road at Taksim area of central Istanbul. Ambulances were seen rushing to the spot which the police cordoned off. The area, located in Istanbul's Beyoglu district, was filled with weekend crowds including shoppers, tourists, and families.

Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu said one suspect had been arrested.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack saying the blast "smelled like terrorism".

In a televised press conference, he said, "It might be wrong if we say for sure that this is terror but according to first signs... there is a smell of terror there."

Soylu and vice president Fuat Otkay visited the site of the blast and spoke to the injured in a nearby hospital.

Otkay later told the media that the government was evaluating whether the blast was an act of terror.

Istanbul and other cities in Turkey have been targeted in the past by Kurdish separatists, Islamist militants, and others.

[With agency inputs]