At least 17 people have been killed and 12 others injured in an explosion at an iron and steel factory near the port city of Izmir in western Turkey.
All those killed and injured were workers at the Habas Demir Celik plant in Aliaga, one of Turkey’s leading steel producers, authorities said.
Footage from the scene showed a large fire inside the facility, with a towering column of smoke rising into the air.
Crane collapse believed to have triggered explosion
The local governor said the explosion occurred around midday after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing materials to fall into a furnace below.
In a statement, the company operating the factory said the accident happened during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant’s electric arc furnaces.
Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban told the media that some people were believed to remain trapped under the rubble.
Eyewitnesses said the explosion shook the ground, with one person initially believing that an earthquake had struck.
Death toll rises as rescue operations continue
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially put the death toll at 16.
However, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu later announced that one of the critically injured victims had died, bringing the total number of fatalities to 17.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations were under way as search and rescue operations continued.
At least five people have been arrested, according to the BBC’s Turkish service, which cited local media reports.
Workplace accidents remain a concern
Workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey, according to the Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation.
The Habas plant is located in Aliaga, a district of Izmir that is a major port and one of Turkey’s main shipbreaking hubs.
