Daijiworld Media Network - Izmir
Izmir, Nov 10: At least 17 workers were killed and 12 others injured after a massive explosion ripped through an iron and steel factory in western Turkey on Monday. Search and rescue operations continued amid reports that some workers remained trapped under the rubble.
The explosion occurred around midday at the Habas Demir Celik plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir province. All those killed and injured were employees of the facility, authorities said.
Footage from the scene showed a massive fire inside the factory, with thick plumes of smoke and dust rising above the premises. Eyewitnesses said the explosion was so powerful that it shook the ground, with one person initially believing that an earthquake had struck.
The death toll rose to 17 after an injured worker, who was in critical condition, succumbed to injuries. Turkey's Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu confirmed the latest casualty in a post on X.
"Unfortunately, another of our citizens has lost their life in the explosion at a steel factory in Izmir and the fire that followed, after being in critical condition," he wrote.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had initially confirmed 16 deaths following a Cabinet meeting on Monday, according to Reuters. He said investigations into the incident were under way and search and rescue operations were continuing.
At least five people have been arrested in connection with the incident, according to a BBC report citing local media reports.
Initial findings suggest that the explosion occurred after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing materials to fall into a furnace below. The governor's office said the ceiling crane snapped and fell into an electric arc furnace during the liquid steel casting process, Reuters reported.
The company operating the facility said the explosion took place during scheduled maintenance work at one of its electric arc furnaces.
Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban said some people were believed to remain trapped under the rubble, while rescue teams continued efforts to reach those affected.
The injured workers were shifted to hospitals across the region for treatment.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Erdogan confirmed the casualties and said authorities were investigating the cause of the explosion.
The Habas plant is located in Aliaga, a major port district of Izmir and one of Turkey's principal shipbreaking hubs. The facility is operated by one of the country's leading steel producers.