Explosion at Major Turkish Steel Plant Leaves 16 Dead and 13 Injured

A powerful explosion at the HABAŞ steel manufacturing plant in western Turkey has claimed the lives of 16 people and left 13 others injured, two of whom remain in critical condition.

The tragic incident occurred in the Aliağa industrial district of Izmir province during scheduled maintenance operations. According to preliminary findings from local authorities, an overhead bridge crane collapsed, crashing into an electric arc furnace and rupturing a gas pipeline. The impact triggered a massive explosion and subsequent fire, resulting in a partial structural collapse of the facility.

Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban confirmed that active production had been suspended for technical servicing at the time of the incident. Approximately 200 workers were on site when the blast occurred. Emergency crews, including firefighters and medical teams, responded immediately to extinguish the blaze, clear debris, and transport the injured to nearby hospitals. The fire has since been fully contained.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the casualties following a cabinet meeting and expressed his official condolences to the families of the victims. He stated that comprehensive judicial and administrative investigations have been launched. "The causes and circumstances of this tragedy, as well as any potential negligence and responsible parties, will be thoroughly established," Erdoğan announced.

As part of the ongoing inquiry into industrial safety compliance, law enforcement authorities have detained five individuals.

HABAŞ is one of Turkey's leading steel producers, operating with an annual manufacturing capacity of approximately 4.5 million metric tons of steel.