Key facts
- The Izmir Governor's Office said a ceiling crane snapped and fell into an arc furnace during liquid steel casting.
- Search and rescue teams were working to reach people still trapped under the debris, the governor's office said.
- Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan said the Social Security Institution assigned a chief inspector to investigate.
- Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz expressed condolences to the families of those killed, Turkiye Today reported.
An explosion at the Habas iron and steel plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir province killed six people and injured 14, the Izmir Governor's Office said. The blast occurred at around noon (0900 GMT) on November 9.
According to initial findings, the governor's office said a ceiling crane snapped and fell into an arc furnace during the liquid steel casting process. Footage broadcast by local TV stations showed large plumes of grey dust rising above the plant.
The governor's office initially reported three deaths, 14 injuries and 10 people missing, with three of the injured in serious condition. It later said the toll rose to six after one critically injured person died in hospital and two others were recovered from the rubble. Search and rescue teams continued working to reach people still trapped beneath the debris, the governor's office said, describing the operations as continuing "without interruption and with great care."
Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan said the Social Security Institution had assigned a chief inspector to investigate the explosion. "The search and rescue efforts are continuing. Our greatest hope is that the loss of life does not increase," Isikhan said, according to Turkiye Today. Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery, Turkiye Today reported.