Explosion at steel plant in western Turkey kills at least 16

An explosion at an iron and steel factory near the port city of Izmir in western Turkey killed at least 16 people and injured 13, officials said.

What happened

The blast occurred at the HABAS plant in Aliaga, Izmir province, around midday on Monday. The local governor said the explosion happened after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing materials to fall into a furnace below. The company said in a statement that the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces.

Casualties and response

All those killed and injured were workers at the Habas plant, authorities said. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations were under way while search and rescue operations continued. He said two of the injured were in a serious condition.

Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban told media that some people are believed to be still under the rubble. Emergency teams fought the blaze while searching for casualties.

Investigations

Turkey's President said judicial and administrative investigations have been launched into the explosion. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said four public prosecutors had been assigned to the case. At least five people have been arrested, according to BBC News's Turkish service, citing local media reports.

Why it matters

Workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey, the Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation, said. The Habas plant is in the Izmir district of Aliaga, which is a major port and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking hubs.

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Sources

• ctvnews.ca: Explosion at steel plant in Turkiye leaves 10 dead, 4 missing
• bbc.com: Turkey steel factory blast kills at least 16 people

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.