Early reports said that nine people, including a police officer, have been injured in the Monday blast, which hit near a housing block for civil servants working at a local courthouse at about 1.30 pm local time, security sources said. Three of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

The bomb was detonated near the lodgings in the district of Ovacik, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of Turkey's capital city, Ankara, the sources added.

Firefighters managed to extinguished a blaze caused by the blast, according to the Dogan news agency

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident, but Turkish officials usually blame such attacks on militants affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Turkey has suffered a spate of bombings this year, including two attacks in tourist areas of Istanbul blamed on Daesh and two car bombings in the capital, Ankara, which were claimed by the Kurdish militant group.

Last Tuesday, the Turkey’s government introduced PKK as responsible for a bomb blast that rocked a central district in the port city of Istanbul near a bus stop, killing at least 11 people and leaving 36 others injured. This came after a splinter group of the PKK, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), claimed responsibility for Istanbul bomb attack.

Bombings in Turkey's heartland have had a dire effect on the tourism industry. According to the Tourism Ministry, some 1.75 million foreigners came to Turkey in April, down by more than 28 percent compared to April 2015.

The fall was the steepest monthly decrease for 17 years and raised fresh concerns about the health of the industry heading into the crucial summer season, Press TV reported.

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