Turkey: Surveillance video captures moment of terrifying blast and panic at Istanbul Atatürk airport

CCTV surveillance footage reveals the terrifying moment everything changed for passengers at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, when the first of three suicide bombs detonated, killing at least 36 people and injuring 147 on Tuesday 28 June.

In the the moments before the first blast, passengers calmly head for gates or a ticket line. In an instant, the scene erupts in a blinding flash of light and flames, leaving travellers dying or injured while others run for their lives.

The film clip appears to have been filmed on a cell phone recording of CCTV footage of the scene that is run then reversed.

Other footage shows travellers stampeding away from the blasts, while another dramatic video reportedly shows one of the suicide bombers being pursued and shot by a police officer.

The bomber writhes on the ground for seconds as the gutsy officer approaches — then runs away a split second before detonating a bomb, killing himself in the process. The entire scene is transformed into a blinding flash of light.

The bombs were detonated in waiting areas before passengers went through metal detectors, said Turkish Justice Minister, Bekir Bozdağ. The attack is thought to have been extremely well organised. As yet, no terror group has claimed responsibility for the terror attack, but police believe that the Islamic State (Isis) is responsible.

Travellers who didn't manage to escape the airport terminal hid in stores until they thought it was safe to exit.

All flights have been cancelled in and out of Istanbul Atatürk, the third busiest European airport after London's Heathrow and Charles De Gaulle in Paris.

This is the 11th terrorist attack inside Turkey this year and the second in Istanbul. Just a day before the bombings, the US State Department reportedly issued a warning to citizens to avoid travel to southeastern Turkey because of increased terrorist threats.