The injured were rushed to several hospitals in the city and some people taken to Numune and Diskapi hospitals were seriously wounded, said the report.

As a result of intense efforts of fire-fighting teams, a fire started after the explosion was extinguished at 10:30 p.m. local time (0730GMT).

"Our ambulances took 22 wounded people to hospitals. Shortly after the explosion, some people injured went to hospitals themselves. In half an hour, the situation becomes clear. I don't know whether anybody was killed. We requested help of the university hospitals for treatment of the burned." Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag told reporters in the scene.

Ankara Police Chief Ercument Yilmaz said, "We do not have any certain information whether a wedding party was under way in the building at the time of the explosion at the gas station in Incesu district."

The explosion occurred in the LPG depot of the station and spread later to fuel oil depot, sources said, adding that three explosions occurred one after the other and many people were injured in the first explosion.

The fire spread to the roof of an apartment, which is across the gas station, and windows of neighboring buildings were shattered due to the explosions.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2003)