Five killed and 63 injured in huge explosion at Turkish restaurant near Sunday market as officials are forced to evacuate residents

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Five people were killed and at least 63 injured in a gas explosion at a restaurant in Turkey on Sunday, the country's interior minister said.

Horrifying footage shared on Twitter/X showed the moment a huge explosion near a Sunday market sent debris flying through the Fevzi Çakmak neighbourhood in Torbalı, Izmir, on the Aegean coast.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Twitter/X the blast is believed to have been caused by an industrial gas cylinder exploding at a restaurant. Victims were taken to several hospitals nearby - with at least one person still in 'serious' condition.

Yerlikaya confirmed an investigation had been ordered as multiple ambulances and rescue teams were sent to the scene - as locals have been evacuated and placed in social housing over fears of possible structural damage to buildings still standing.

The blast, which happened in the town of Torbali south of the city of Izmir, was so powerful that it was heard for miles around, the Anadolu news agency reported.

In an instant, a huge orange blast shook the neighbourhood, throwing debris metres high

An aerial view of the damaged area where at least five people were killed on June 30

Windows were blown out of buildings in the sudden blast earlier today

As many as 63 people are believed to have been injured in the blast on Sunday

Rescue teams and eight ambulances were immediately reported to have been dispatched

The victims were later named as Birgül Sarsilmaz (born 1980), Ruken Çağur (b. 1993), Evin Aslan (b. 1988), Dilek Bağ (b. 2000) and Havin Ergin (b. 2007).

Three were reported to have died at the scene while two died later at a nearby hospital.

The explosion occurred earlier today on Barış Manço Street in Ayrancılar District, according to the Interior Minister.

Images broadcast on television channels showed the facades of several buildings party destroyed by the explosion and the windows of cars blown out.

Video showed disoriented people walking through the street as dust began to settle, with scraps of metal and plastic strewn across the ground.

Bystanders helped each other away from the scene of the explosion. A woman could be heard crying as two men tried to assist her.

Yerlikaya said the public would be updated as new information comes out.

An earlier post reported four citizens had died and 35 had been injured, before revised figures were shared.

Dr Cemil Tugay, the Metropolitan Municipality Mayor of Izmir, shared his condolences for the families of the victims and wrote: 'Our teams continue all necessary work. 

'We started working to meet all the needs of our citizens who were victimized in the region, including accommodation.'

He said in a statement that the explosion had occurred opposite a popular café and patisserie, and that there had been 'many' injured with a Sunday market taking place nearby.

'There are many injured people currently under treatment,' Tugay told reporters after a visit to the victims at local hospitals.

'Some of them are under treatment in Torbalı State Hospital, some are in private hospitals in Torbalı, and 5 people are under treatment in hospitals in Izmir. 

'We have one seriously injured person. There appear to be 63 injured in total,' he said.

He confirmed a member of the staff from the restaurant was among the casualties, and said nine buildings had been damaged in the blast.

Torbalı Mayor Övünç Demir said those evacuated from the blast zone had been placed in temporary housing organised by the local authority.

'We are evacuating the buildings and our Metropolitan Municipality is working on providing accommodation and social support,' he said.

'We, as a municipality, have been doing our best since the beginning. Our surrounding district mayors are here and I would like to thank them too. I pray God's mercy to those who passed away. I wish the injured to recover as soon as possible.'

Damage to a van in the aftermath of the explosion in a popular neighbourhood in Izmir

Devastating scenes show the extent of damage from Sunday's blast

A view of the destruction after an explosion that took place in a restaurant in Turkey today

Rescue teams are still working tirelessly to help the affected to safety

A quiet Sunday in Izmir was thrown by a horrifying blast at a restaurant, killing five people 

Locals tried to help each other to safety as debris lay scattered across the ground

He added that it would have to be determined whether the structures of the buildings hit by the blast had been damaged to safely return residents. 

Münir Karaloğlu, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, later shared an overhead view of the aftermath as officials in hard hats looked on.

Damage was extensive, with windows blown out and debris strewn across the pavement.

'May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives as a result of the explosion caused by an industrial cylinder in a restaurant in Torbalı, Izmir, and I wish a speedy recovery to our injured,' he wrote.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not immediately comment.