Second person dies after Istanbul protest violence

A second person died from his injuries on Friday after being hit by a grenade explosion during violent clashes between police and protesters in Istanbul the day before, a senior official said. "Another of our citizens who was seriously wounded has lost his life. We have lost a person who was wounded by a hand grenade. The death toll has risen to two," Istanbul governor Avni Mutlu told reporters. The victim was unnamed. Mutlu added that at least eight police officers and another person had been injured during clashes in Istanbul overnight. The first victim was named as Ugur Kurt, a 30-year-old who died of gunshot wounds to his head. He had been attending a funeral ceremony when police cracked down on some 50 protesters in the Okmeydani district, the scene of sporadic clashes. Thursday's violence erupted when police fired live ammunition as well as tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who denounced the death of a teenage boy who fell into a coma during anti-government unrest last year. Tensions are high in Turkey with the approach of the first anniversary of deadly nationwide anti-government protests and in the wake of a mine disaster that claimed 301 lives last week.