Blast at a steel plant near Izmir in Türkiye kills 16; Erdogan orders inquiry

An explosion at a steel plant in Aliaga, about 60 km north of the Turkish port city of Izmir, killed 16 people on 9 November, according to reports by AFP and Reuters. Eight workers were trapped after the blast, Izmir’s governor, Suleyman Elban, said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the authorities would establish how and why it happened, whether there was negligence and who was responsible. He said two of the injured were in a serious condition.

What happened

The blast struck around midday at the HABAS iron and steel plant. Mr. Elban said an overhead crane fell into an electric arc furnace, used to melt steel, while a boiler was being replaced. That set off an explosion in the steel mill behind it.

Footage shared online showed thick smoke rising from the plant, with flames around a tall structure. An eyewitness told the Anadolu news agency that it felt like an earthquake.

The background

Aliaga is one of Türkiye’s main centres for heavy industry, with steel plants and oil refineries along the Aegean coast. The authorities have opened an investigation, AFP reported.

What’s next

The inquiry ordered by the government will look into the cause and whether safety rules were followed.