World||November 10, 2026 / 11:24 AM

Massive explosion at steel plant in Turkey leaves 17 dead and 13 injured

AKIPRESS.COM – A powerful explosion at the HABAŞ metallurgical plant in western Turkey’s Izmir province has killed 17 people and injured 13 others, with two in critical condition, Reuters reported.

The tragedy occurred around noon on November 9 in the Aliaga district during maintenance work when an overhead crane collapsed into an electric arc furnace and damaged a gas pipeline, triggering a massive blast and subsequent fire.

Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban stated that production was halted for technical work at the time, with about 200 people on site out of a regular workforce exceeding 300.

Rescue teams extinguished the fire and searched the rubble of collapsed structures for survivors, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a thorough judicial and administrative investigation that has already led to the detention of five individuals.

HABAŞ is one of Turkey’s major steel manufacturers, with an annual production capacity of around 4.5 million tons.