Larne Bishop Pat Buckley caught up in IS bombing in Turkey

Independent Bishop Buckley had been taking photos in Sultanahmet Square shortly before the blast today and had moved on into the famous Blue Mosque.

Speaking to the BBC, Bishop Buckley said: “I have lived in Northern Ireland since the 70s, and I have heard explosions, and this was incredibly loud. I saw dust through the doorway of the mosque and I could smell the explosives.”

He added: “I am slightly worried because there is talk here that they are expecting further trouble and we have been warned to avoid crowds.”

The death toll from the bombing currently stands at 10 – at least eight of them were German tourists.

Fifteen people were wounded, many of them also German.

A Syrian national, who is suspected of being a member of so-called Islamic State (IS), is believed to carried out Tuesday’s attack in the Sultanahmet district, near the famous Blue Mosque.

The suspect was said to have been born in 1988 and was identified from body parts.