Istanbul: In a shocking incident on Monday, an explosion rocked the eastern Turkish city of Van which left several people injured.

According to the reports, “the blast took place in the heart of the bustling city centre, between the ruling AKP's offices and those of the governor”.

Initially it was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, which appeared to have been caused by a car bomb.

But, images showed water cannon being used to put out a fire caused by the explosion.

According to the witness, the force of the blast shattered the windows in the surrounding locality. Several ambulances rushed to the sight.