Deadly explosion at Turkey steel factory kills 17 workers, injures 12 others

At least 17 people were killed and 12 others injured in western Turkey in a factory blast on Monday. The explosion ripped through an iron and steel factory, with search and rescue operations continuing amid reports that workers were still 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 workers at the facility, authorities said. Footage from the scene showed a large fire inside the factory, with thick plumes of smoke and dust rising above the facility. Eyewitnesses said the explosion was so powerful that it shook the ground. One person initially believed an earthquake had struck. The death toll rose to 17 after one of the injured workers, who was in critical condition, died later, Turkey's health minister Kemal Memişoğlu said. "Unfortunately, another of our citizens has lost their life in the explosion at a steel factory in İzmir and the fire that followed, after being in critical condition," he wrote in a post on X. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had initially confirmed 16 deaths following a cabinet meeting on Monday, news agency Reuters reported. At least five people have been arrested in connection with the incident, according to a BBC report, citing local media reports. According to initial findings, the blast occurred when 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 explosion took place during scheduled maintenance work at one of the plant's electric arc furnaces, the company that operates the facility said in a statement. Izmir governor Süleyman Elban said some people were believed to remain trapped under the rubble. Search and rescue teams were continuing operations to reach those affected by the blast. The injured workers were taken to hospitals across the region for treatment. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations into the incident were under way. He also said search and rescue operations were continuing. The Habas plant is located in Aliaga, a major port district of Izmir and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking hubs. The facility is operated by one of the country's leading steel producers.