BBC News’s Turkish service, citing local media reports, said at least five people had been arrested as investigations continued into an explosion at an iron and steel factory near Izmir that killed at least 17 workers and injured more than a dozen others. The blast at the Habas Demir Celik plant in Aliaga happened around midday on Monday when a crane lifting a replacement boiler collapsed and fell into a furnace; a large fire broke out.
The death toll rose to 17 after Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced that one critically injured worker had died of his injuries; President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had initially put the figure at 16. The reports give different injury figures: BBC reported 12, while Euronews reported 13, two of them critically. Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban told media that some people were believed to still be under the rubble, and search and rescue operations were continuing.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdoğan said the investigation would establish what happened. "The circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our nation, including how and why it happened, whether there was any negligence and who bears responsibility, will be established," he said on television.
In a statement, the company that runs the factory said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces. Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said on social media that rescue teams were continuing their work to remove the collapsed platform.
Habas is a privately owned group and one of Turkey's top steel producers. The plant, established in 1987, can produce 4.5 million tons of steel annually, according to the company's website. It sits in the Izmir district of Aliaga, a major port and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking hubs.
Workers' groups said there was a long record of safety issues at Habas, and the Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation, said workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said the explosion shook the ground, and one person initially believed an earthquake had struck. All those killed and injured were workers at the plant, authorities said.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The death toll may rise further, with the governor saying some people were believed to still be under the rubble.
- The arrests signal the investigation is examining negligence and responsibility, which Erdoğan has promised will be established.
- The blast highlights a persistent pattern of workplace accidents in Turkey's industrial sector, raised by workers' groups and civil society monitors.
Background
Turkey has a long-running problem with workplace safety in heavy industry, and industrial accidents have repeatedly drawn criticism of enforcement. The Habas plant in Aliaga is one of the country's largest steel production sites and forms part of a major port and shipbreaking hub on Turkey's western coast.
Key Perspectives
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: said the circumstances of the incident, including whether there was negligence and who bears responsibility, will be established.
- Habas (the company): said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces.
- Workers' groups: said there was a long record of safety issues at Habas.
- Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch: said workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey.
What to Watch
- Whether search and rescue operations recover more workers from under the rubble.
- The outcome of the investigation and whether those arrested are formally charged over negligence.
- The condition of the two workers reported critically injured.