Explosions Rock Turkish Peace Rally; Police Block Ambulances Trying to Help Victims

Demonstrators confront riot police who blocked ambulances from reaching victims following explosions during a peace march in Ankara, Turkey, October 10, 2015. Reuters

Explosions Rock Turkish Peace Rally; Police Block Ambulances Trying to Help Victims

At least 86 dead; 180 wounded

Twin explosions outside Ankara's main train station on Saturday morning killed at least 86 people and wounded up to 190 in an attack targeting a peace rally in Turkey's capital city.

The peace rally and march was organized by unions, NGO's and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to protest against the conflict between the state and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in southeast Turkey.

A video caught the moment the first bomb went off.

A line of men and women were holding hands and singing as people milled in the background waving banners with anti-violence slogans, when the huge blast rocked the crowd.

Hundreds of protesters then clashed with police after officers blocked off a road keeping ambulances from aiding victims of this morning's bombing.

Bulent Tekdemir, who was at the rally, told the BBC that police used tear gas shortly after the explosions at 10am and "would not let ambulances through" in the aftermath.

Footage showed lines of riot officers appearing to block a road near the blast site, with ambulances parked in the background.

Ankara'daki patlama onrasi mitinge katilanlar polise tepki gos...

Ankara'daki patlama sonrasi yaralilara yardim edenleri engellemeye calisan polisler ile mitinge katilanlar arasinda olaylar cikti https://evrn.sl/plZw0

Posted by EVRENSEL GAZETESI - www.evrensel.net on Saturday, October 10, 2015

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