At least 16 people have been killed and 13 others hurt after an explosion at an iron and steel plant near Izmir, a port city in western Turkey.
Authorities said every victim was a worker at the Habas plant, one of the country’s biggest steel producers. Footage from the site showed a major blaze inside the facility and a tall column of smoke rising over the area.
How the blast unfolded at the Habas plant
The local governor said the blast came around midday, after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed and sent materials crashing into a furnace below.
Eyewitnesses said the force of the blast shook the ground, and one person at first assumed an earthquake had hit. In a statement, the company said the accident happened during planned maintenance on one of the plant’s electric arc furnaces.
Rescue work, arrests and official response
Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban told the media that some people were believed to still be trapped under the rubble. Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations were under way while search and rescue operations continued.
Erdoğan also said two of the injured were in serious condition. Local media reports said at least five people had been arrested.
The Habas plant is located in the Aliaga district of Izmir, a major port and one of Turkey’s main shipbreaking hubs. The Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation, said workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in the country.
