The explosives were believed to have been placed by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, the office said in a statement, adding the blast occurred in the Kulp district of the province.

Medical and gendarmerie teams rushed to the scene of the explosion which occurred at around 1800 hrs local time, according to Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU, resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015 after a brief reconciliation period.