Turkey: Dozens Reported Dead In Istanbul Nightclub Attack
By RFE RL
(RFE/RL) — The governor of the Turkish city of Istanbul has said at least 35 people were killed and about 40 injured when an armed attacker struck a nightclub early on January 1.
Governor Vasip Sahin told journalists that a single gunman carried out the attack, which he labeled a “terrorist” incident.
The NTV television channel reported that police and numerous ambulances are at the Club Reina in the city’s Besiktas district.
According to some media reports, the attacker was dressed in Santa Claus outfits when he entered the club and opened fire.
Media were reporting that least 500 people and as many as 800 were in the club at the time of the attack. Some partygoers reportedly jumped into the Bosporus Strait to escape the gunfire.
Security was high as the city was celebrating New Year’s. In Istanbul, some 17,000 police were reportedly on duty.
