Dushanbe, 07.06.2016. /NIAT “Khovar”/. 7 police officers and 4 civilians lost their lives and 36 others injured in an early morning explosion in Istanbul’s Beyazit area Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports quoting Vasip Sahin, the city’s governor.

According to a source, the blast in the Beyazit Vezneciler district on the city’s European side damaged nearby shops and vehicles.

A number of gunshots were reportedly heard after the blast. Police have evacuated premises near the scene of the blast and the injured have been taken to nearby hospitals.