ISTANBUL

A man and a woman have died after being trapped under rubble when a wall collapsed in a central Istanbul park on Monday.

According to local sources, five of seven trapped people were rescued and taken to hospital. The remains of the two fatalities have taken to a forensic medicine institution.

The victims were sitting in a tea garden in Gulhane Park when they became trapped under earth and debris.

It was not clear what caused the accident. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Gulhane Park - a popular location for tourists and locals alike - is a historical urban site overlooking the Bogazici (Bosphorus) and is located in the grounds of the Ottoman Topkapi Palace.