Ankara: Thirty people were killed and 126 were wounded in two explosions outside the main train station in the Turkish capital Ankara on Saturday, the Turkish Interior Ministry said.

The wounded were being treated in various hospitals after the explosions which occurred at 10:04am (0704 GMT) as people gathered for a rally organised by unions and civil society groups, the ministry said in a written statement.

A Reuters reporter at the scene saw at least 15 bodies covered by flags, with bloodstains and body parts scattered on the road.

Eyewitnesses told AFP several corpses were seen lying on the ground while NTV television and the Dogan news agency said at least 20 people were killed. Some 100 people were wounded, NTV added.

The area was to have hosted an anti-government peace rally organised by leftist groups later in the day, including the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

The blast occurred ahead of a planned ‘peace’ march to protest against the conflict between the state and Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey. Earlier media reports had said there were two explosions.

Dogan news agency video footage showed those involved in the march tending to wounded individuals lying on the ground while hundreds of people wandered around the streets.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but a government official told Reuters it was being investigated.

The explosion occurred at a time of growing security concerns in Turkey, and three weeks ahead of a parliamentary election.