Turkey: Explosion near Pegasus Airlines plane at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport leaves one dead

Turkish police are investigating an explosion that killed a member of staff and injured a second at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport. Causes for the blast that occurred at 2.05am local time in the proximity of a Pegasus Airlines plane were not immediately clear.

A large number of police and firefighters were deployed to the airport, with security forces controlling accesses to the premises and searching vehicles. A police helicopter hovered over the area, local media reported.

The victims were two cleaners working near the explosion. One suffered serious wounds to the head, while the second was injured on a hand. They were both taken to the Marmara University Hospital for treatment, where the person suffering head wounds later died. She has been identified as 30-year-old Zehra Yamaç.

Pegasus said no passengers were near the site of the blast as it took place. Air traffic was continuing as normal, Sabiha Gokcen airport operator said, adding the probe into the incident continued.