At least six people were killed and others injured Monday when a powerful explosion tore through a steel mill near the western Turkish city of Izmir.
The blast struck the Habaş iron and steel plant in Aliağa, an industrial district about 60 kilometers north of Izmir, around midday, sparking a fire at the facility.
The Izmir governor’s office initially reported three dead, 14 injured and 10 people trapped under the rubble. The death toll later rose to six after one of the injured died and two more bodies were pulled from the wreckage.
Preliminary findings suggest an overhead crane collapsed into a large furnace used for casting molten steel, according to the Demirören News Agency (DHA).
Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said all the casualties were factory workers and that rescue teams were working to clear the collapsed platform. “The exact number will become clear once the wreckage is removed,” he wrote on X.
Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, is a major port and industrial hub, and Aliağa is home to much of the region’s heavy industry, including steel plants and refineries.
