Tight security at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport after night blast leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

Anti-terror police stormed Turkey's Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul on Wednesday, after an explosion killed a person and injured another. Authorities are investigating whether the blast was a terrorist attack.

Police armed with rifles and protective vests imposed tight security at entrances to the airport following the explosion. Officers searched vehicles while a helicopter circled overhead, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The blast, at 2am local time, killed Zehra Yamaç, a cleaner on an airplane. Yamaç's colleague, Canan Burgulu, was injured in the explosion, according to Hurriyet.

Anadolu had earlier reported that one of the women suffered a head wound, while the other was injured in the hand.

Five aircraft have been damaged as a result of the explosion, Binali Yildirim, Turkey’s minister of transport said, adding that it’s still unclear what caused it and that there is no reason to step up security.

“There was damage to five airplanes in total due to the impact of shrapnel. Weakness in the airport's security is out of the question. All international security standards are being implemented,” the minister said.

Police have so far declined to comment on the incident.

Sabiha Gokcen is Istanbul's second-largest airport, serving around 26 million passengers in the first 11 months of this year, according to its website.