A massive blast at the HABAS iron and steel plant in Aliaga, western Turkey, killed 16 workers and left the facility heavily damaged, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday.
Confirmed: the explosion occurred at about 12:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, during planned maintenance of an electric arc furnace at the plant. The incident caused structural damage and sparked a fire that emergency crews later brought under control. President Erdogan said an investigation is under way to determine the cause and identify any negligence.
Unconfirmed: the exact cause of the blast has not yet been disclosed as the investigation continues.
The fire that erupted from the explosion was fought and contained by local fire services, but the blast left the plant in an unsafe state that required extensive assessment.
Top officials, including the Labor and Social Security Minister and the Energy and Natural Resources Minister, have travelled to Izmir to oversee the situation and coordinate the investigation.