KUALA LUMPUR: There has been no report of Malaysians affected by the explosion at Istanbul's Istiklal Street, which so far has killed six people and injured 81 others.

In a statement, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Turkiye's Istanbul said that it is currently liaising closely with the local authorities, which have been conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

"At the time of this statement, there has been no report of Malaysians affected by the incident. The Consulate General is confident that the authorities will hold those responsible for the incident accountable and bring them to justice.

"The Consulate General wishes to remind all Malaysians to be aware of the surroundings and to avoid going to crowded places in Istanbul for the time being," it said in a statement shared through its Twitter account (@MWIstanbul).

The Consulate General of Malaysia can be contacted for any emergencies through its telephone number; +90 2129891001/+90 5362896788/+90 5517112174/+90 55389879767 or email address, [email protected].

The consulate also expressed its deepest condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families, and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

The blast which occurred at around 4.20 pm (1320 GMT) has killed six people and injured 81 others, Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted the Turkish vice president, Fuat Oktay as saying on Monday.

Oktay, who visited the blast site, told the press at Istanbul's Taksim Square that the blast is considered a terrorist act, and a female attacker had detonated the bomb.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just before leaving for Indonesia to attend the 17th G20 summit, said the bomb attack "smells like terrorism."

He said the country will not bow down to terrorism, and all perpetrators will be identified.

-- BERNAMA