Explosion at Turkish Steel Facility Claims 17 Lives in Izmir

A blast at an iron and steel factory near the port city of Izmir has claimed the lives of at least 17 workers and injured a further 12.

The incident occurred at the Habas Demir Celik plant in Aliaga, one of Turkey’s leading steel producers. Footage from the scene showed a large fire breaking out inside the facility with a towering column of smoke rising into the sky.

According to local authorities, the blast took place around midday after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, sending materials into the furnace below.

An independent watchdog group cited by media highlighted that workplace accidents remain a persistent issue in Turkey.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially reported the death toll at 16, but later Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced that one critically injured worker had succumbed to their injuries, raising the confirmed count to 17.

Eyewitnesses described the explosion as violent enough that they initially believed a tremor had struck the area.

The company operating the plant confirmed the accident happened during scheduled maintenance work on one of its electric arc furnaces.

Governor Süleyman Elban said some individuals were still believed to be buried beneath the debris.

Erdoğan, speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, confirmed the fatalities and ordered immediate investigations into the cause while search and rescue operations continued.

Local authorities announced that at least five individuals have been detained in connection with the incident.

The Habas facility is located in Aliaga, a major port district and one of Turkey’s principal shipbreaking hubs.

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