An explosion at the Habaş steel plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir province killed 10 people and injured 15 others. Rescue workers are continuing to search for four workers believed to be trapped under the debris.
The incident occurred around noon on November 9. According to a preliminary account in a statement from the Izmir governor’s office, a gantry crane broke loose and fell into an electric arc furnace while molten steel was being poured, causing the explosion.
A fire broke out after the explosion. Firefighters, medical teams and search-and-rescue units were dispatched to the scene. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, and operations at the site are continuing.
Authorities have launched an investigation to establish all the circumstances of the accident. The extent of the damage to production and possible disruptions to the plant’s operations are not yet known. Habaş has not said how the incident will affect steel output or when production may resume.
Aliaga is one of Turkey’s major steelmaking centers. The Habaş Group has steelmaking capacity of 4.5 million tonnes a year in the area.