ANKARA, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - Two blasts at an unlicensed fireworks factory in Istanbul on Thursday morning left 20 people dead and 117 injured, national media reported.
The blasts went off at 9.45 a.m. local time (7.45 a.m. GMT) in the industrial Davutpasha district in Maltepe, which houses more than 130 shops and factory outlets. Most of the victims were factory workers.
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler ruled out the possibility that terrorists staged the explosion.
After the fireworks went off, gas tanks in the building also ignited. Six of the dead have been pulled from the debris of the five-story building, which has partially collapsed.
The Istanbul Health Directorate said that at least eight of those injured are in a critical condition.
The explosion shattered windows and damaged three nearby houses. The fire also engulfed a parking lot, destroying numerous cars.
