ISTANBUL, Nov 10 – At least 16 people have died and 13 others suffered injuries following an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye on Monday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the casualties after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
He said the authorities had launched judicial and administrative investigations to determine what caused the explosion. They will also examine whether negligence played a role.
Erdogan described the incident as a tragedy that had deeply saddened the country.
Explosion Occurred During Furnace Maintenance
The explosion happened at around 11.46 am local time at the HABAS Iron and Steel Plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir.
Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban said workers were carrying out furnace replacement work when the incident occurred.
According to his explanation, a ceiling crane collapsed during the maintenance operation. The falling materials struck an electric arc furnace and damaged a natural gas line, triggering the explosion.
The blast caused severe damage at the facility and left several workers injured.
Rescue Teams Search Through Debris
Authorities initially reported 10 deaths and 15 injuries. However, the death toll later increased to 16, while the number of injured workers stood at 13.
Two of the injured victims suffered serious injuries.
Governor Elban said rescue teams continued searching the site after the explosion. At the time of his earlier statement, authorities believed four people remained trapped beneath the debris.
Around 200 workers were inside the facility during the maintenance operation. This was lower than the more than 300 workers usually present during regular production shifts.
Turkish Authorities Launch Investigations
The authorities have started separate judicial and administrative investigations into the incident.
Investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the crane collapse, the damage to the gas line and the events that led to the explosion.
No arrests had been made at the time of the report.
Meanwhile, Labour and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar were travelling to the region.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu was also expected to visit Izmir.
The investigations will determine the exact cause of the disaster and whether anyone failed to follow safety requirements.
Source : BERNAMA | Rewritten By Minutesmy
