An explosion and fire at an iron and steel factory in western Turkey killed 17 people, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said Monday, as authorities launched an investigation into the deadly industrial accident.
The explosion occurred at approximately 11:46 a.m. at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in the Bozköy neighborhood of Aliağa, in İzmir province. The blast happened during maintenance work on an electric arc furnace, according to İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban.
Elban said an overhead crane collapsed during a boiler replacement operation, sending heavy materials into the furnace and triggering an explosion. The falling materials also damaged natural gas and oxygen pipes, according to initial findings shared by Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan.
The fire that broke out after the explosion was extinguished by emergency crews. Teams from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), fire department and police were sent to the factory, with additional rescue personnel arriving from neighboring districts and Manisa.
Health Minister Memişoğlu announced that 17 people had died. In a statement on social media, he said he had visited injured workers at hospitals alongside Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Labor and Social Security Minister Işıkhan. He also said medical teams were continuing to treat those injured, with 2 patients in critical condition.
The Menemen Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation and assigned 4 prosecutors to the case. Six people have been taken into custody in connection with the incident, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Turkey’s authorities are also conducting administrative inspections to determine whether safety failures or negligence contributed to the explosion.