Three injured in blast on plane at Istanbul airport

Three workers were injured today when a package exploded on a Turkish Airlines flight after it landed in Istanbul and passengers had disembarked, the airlines said.

Three workers were injured today when a package exploded on a Turkish Airlines flight after it landed in Istanbul and passengers had disembarked, the airlines said.

The blast came hours before President George W. Bush was expected to leave Istanbul, which is hosting a summit of Nato leaders.

The small blast occurred on a plane that had come from the Aegean port city of Izmir, Turkish Airlines said in a statement. A worker, who had been cleaning the plane, lost fingers after picking up a package that appeared to be a wallet that had been left on the aircraft, the airlines said. Two others also sustained minor injuries, the airline said.

The Anatolia news agency said authorities believed two grammes of C-4 plastic explosives were inside the package.

Television showed what appeared to be a Boeing 737 at the airport. No damage could be seen on the outside of the plane.

An ambulance was seen driving away from the plane. A fire truck could be seen nearby.

Private CNN-Turk television said the explosion came near the time when US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld was set to leave Istanbul, although a US official could not confirm that report.

Security is extremely tight in Turkey, which is hosting a summit of Nato leaders in Istanbul.