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Overnight Open Thread (New Year's Eve Edition) »
December 31, 2016
35 Dead In Terror Attack at Istanbul Nightclub
Apparently the killer was dressed as Santa Claus.
Thirty five people have been killed in an armed attack in an Istanbul nightclub, the city's governor has revealed.
The gunman, believed to have been dressed in a Santa costume, opened fire inside the Reina nightclub in Istanbul's Ortaköy district, where hundreds were celebrating the New Year.
A further 40 people are thought to have been wounded in the attack, which has been captured in CCTV footage. It happened at 1.30am local time.
Special forces officers have stormed the building, but the location of the gunman is unknown. A media blackout has been imposed by the Turkish government.
Many party-goers threw themselves into the Bosphorus in panic after the attack, and had to be rescued. One report said the gunman had later been killed.
The Foreign Office said it is liaising with authorities to establish whether any Britons were caught up in the massacre.
Prayers for the victims. I hope the rest of you morons stay safe out there. See you next year, and open thread until the ONT