Steel plant blast kills 16 in Izmir: President Erdogan

Blast at HABAS facility

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that 16 people were killed and 13 others injured in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye's Izmir province, saying judicial and administrative investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the blast and identify those responsible. The explosion occurred at approximately 11:46 a.m. local time (0846 GMT) at the HABAS Iron and Steel Plant in Aliaga district during furnace replacement work, Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban said. A ceiling crane collapsed and dropped materials into an electric arc furnace, triggering the blast after damaging a natural gas line, he added.

Rising death toll

Elban initially reported 10 fatalities and 15 injuries, including four workers in serious condition, though the death toll later rose to 16. Search and rescue operations were continuing at the site, with four workers believed to be trapped beneath the debris, according to the governor. Approximately 200 workers were present during the maintenance operation, down from more than 300 during regular production shifts.

Government response

"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 after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara. Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar were traveling to the region, while Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu was also expected to visit Izmir. No arrests had been made as investigations continued.