2nd LD Writethru: Explosion hits central Istanbul, 5 killed

An explosion rocked Istanbul's bustling Istiklal Street on Saturday, causing at least five deaths and 36 injuries.

The cause of the explosion is not announced yet, but CNNTurk said it is a suicide bombing attack.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin confirmed the number of deaths on the scene, noting that the attacker is among the dead.

Turkey's Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 36 were wounded in the attack, among them 12 foreigners.

The police have cordoned off and evacuated the entire street, and all shops were closed.

One man was walking on the street when he heard the blast and saw people around starting to run away.

"It was a very big one," he said. "I saw some injured. One tourist was injured, we asked for ambulance."

Germany on Thursday closed its embassy, consulate general and a high school in Turkey, citing security threat.

The United States, meanwhile, warned its citizens of "increased threats" from terrorist groups throughout Turkey, urging them to shun large crowds including at popular tourist destinations.

Istiklal Street, or Independence Avenue, is a pedestrian street popular with both locals and tourists.

Turkey has experienced a string of deadly attacks over the past few months, with the latest one hitting the capital city of Ankara on March 13 and killing 37 people.

Twelve German tourists were killed in a suicide bombing in Istanbul in January. Endit