OMM Newsroom
At least 16 people were killed and 13 others injured in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, according to Anadolu Agency. Two of the injured were in serious condition.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdogan said judicial and administrative investigations had been launched to establish the cause of the explosion in the Aliaga district of Izmir province and determine who was responsible.
“An investigation has been launched into the explosion, both judicially and administratively. The cause and circumstances of this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our nation, as well as any negligence and those responsible, will be established,” Erdogan said.
Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban said the explosion occurred at around 11:46 a.m. local time (0846 GMT) at the “HABAS” Iron and Steel Plant during furnace replacement work.
Elban said a ceiling crane collapsed, causing materials to fall into an electric arc furnace. The impact damaged a natural gas line, triggering an explosion.
The governor initially reported 10 deaths and 15 injuries, including four workers in serious condition. He said search and rescue operations were continuing, with four people believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
About 200 workers were at the facility during the maintenance operation, compared with more than 300 during regular production shifts, Elban said. No arrests had been made, and judicial and administrative investigations were under way.
Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar were traveling to the region. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu was also expected to visit Izmir.
