Steel Plant Explosion in Turkey's Izmir Province Kills 17
An explosion at the Habaş iron and steelworks in Aliağa, western Turkey, on Monday killed 17 people. Five people have been detained and four prosecutors assigned to investigate.
An explosion at the Habaş iron and steelworks in Aliağa, a town in İzmir province in western Turkey, killed 17 people on Monday, 9 November. Rescue teams are still searching the wreckage, and the authorities have opened an investigation into how the disaster happened.
The blast occurred at 11:46am local time, setting off a fire and sending thick smoke over the industrial complex. Witnesses described it as feeling like an earthquake. Footage shows flames, smoke and distressed relatives gathered outside the factory. Aerial images show emergency vehicles surrounding the site, while ambulances took casualties to nearby hospitals.
What happened inside the plant
İzmir governor Süleyman Elban said an overhead crane fell into an electric arc furnace during maintenance work. This damaged a gas line and caused the explosion. A worker told the AFP news agency that a crane cable had snapped, dropping around 120 tonnes of molten steel onto the furnace and provoking a violent reaction.
About 200 employees were in the affected area when it happened. That was fewer than usual, since production had been suspended for the maintenance work.
Investigation
Five people have been detained, and four prosecutors have been assigned to examine the circumstances of the disaster. Search operations in the wreckage are continuing.
