Five dead and 60 hurt in propane tank explosion in city popular with Brits | World | News

Five people have been killed and dozens more injured in an explosion in a city popular with British holidaymakers.

The propane tank exploded at a restaurant in the Turkish city of Izmir on Sunday.

Security cameras recorded the explosion, which devastated the street and caused minor damage to surrounding buildings.

Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media that dozens of rescue personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene.

A total of 63 people are reported to have been injured as a result of the blast.

Suleyman Elban, Izmir’s governor, visited the injured at the hospital and announced that 40 of them had already been released.

Authorities have detained one suspect who may have played a part in the explosion.

The man had replaced the propane tank with a new one on Saturday.

Dr Cemil Tugay, the Metropolitan Municipality Mayor of Izmir, said in a statement: “Our teams continue all necessary work. We started working to meet all the needs of our citizens who were victimised in the region, including accommodation.”

Izmir is a popular destination for British holidaymakers, with tens of thousands of people visiting the city each year.

Many package holiday companies offer deals for the city, which is also served by a number of budget airlines from the UK.

No information has been released on the nationality of those killed or injured in the blast.