A massive explosion ripped through a steel manufacturing plant in western Turkey on Monday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 13 others as a powerful blast shook the surrounding area and sent towering clouds of smoke into the sky.
The deadly disaster unfolded November 9 at the HABAS iron and steel plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir province, where workers were carrying out maintenance on industrial equipment shortly before noon.
According to Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban, an overhead crane collapsed while workers were replacing furnace equipment, sending heavy materials crashing into an electric arc furnace and damaging a natural gas line.
The impact triggered a devastating explosion, followed by a massive fire that tore through part of the industrial complex.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as the blast shook nearby buildings, leaving some residents fearing a powerful earthquake had struck.
“The ground shook. It was very intense,” witness Nuri Ali Ulker told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
Another witness, Deniz Ulker, described the terrifying moment the explosion rocked the area.
“It felt like the earth’s crust was shifting beneath us. I thought it was an earthquake,” he recalled.
Video footage broadcast by local television stations showed enormous clouds of smoke and dust rising above the factory, while flames engulfed sections of the facility.
Firefighters, ambulances and emergency rescue teams rushed to the scene, battling the blaze while searching through collapsed debris for trapped workers.
The death toll climbed throughout the day as rescuers recovered additional victims from the wreckage. Authorities initially confirmed three deaths before raising the number to six, then 10, as the rescue operation continued.
By Monday evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that at least 16 people had died and 13 others were injured, including two in serious condition.
Governor Elban said approximately 200 employees were at the plant when the explosion occurred, fewer than the more than 300 typically present during normal production.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci confirmed that emergency crews were working at the scene and that the injured had been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The HABAS facility is one of Turkey’s major steel manufacturing operations, with an annual production capacity of approximately 4.5 million metric tons. The plant has operated since 1987 and plays an important role in the country’s industrial sector.
The explosion has now triggered both criminal and administrative investigations, with authorities examining whether negligence or equipment failures contributed to the disaster.
Four prosecutors have reportedly been assigned to investigate the catastrophe.
President Erdogan pledged that officials would determine exactly what caused the deadly explosion and establish whether anyone should be held responsible.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.