Turkish president Erdogan confirms 16 deaths in Izmir steel plant blast
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that an explosion at a steel plant in western Turkiye killed 16 people and injured 13 others.
Casualties and immediate response
President Erdogan stated judicial and administrative investigations have launched to determine the cause of the blast. Following a cabinet gathering at the Turkish presidential complex in Ankara, he addressed the press on Monday. At least two injured workers remain in serious condition according to official statements from the leadership.
Cause of the explosion
Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban said the incident occurred around 11.46am local time at the HABAS Iron and Steel Plant. A ceiling crane collapsed during furnace replacement work, causing materials to fall into an electric arc furnace. This event damaged a natural gas line and triggered the subsequent explosion that engulfed the facility.
Government officials on site
Labour Minister Vedat Isikhan and Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar are travelling to the region to oversee operations. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu is also expected to visit Izmir shortly after the initial announcement. Approximately 200 workers were present during this maintenance operation compared to more than 300 during regular shifts.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- Express Tribune
- Dawn
Reported by
2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.