Explosion at steel plant in western Türkiye kills 17, health minister says

A huge explosion and fire at a large iron and steelworks in western Türkiye on Monday, November 9, killed 17 people: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 16 in the evening, before the health minister confirmed that another critically injured worker had died, raising the toll to 17, up from the 10 dead and four missing reported earlier by the Izmir governor. Between 12 and 13 people were injured, with sources differing, two of them critically; officials have not said separately whether the four workers reported missing earlier are included in the death toll.

Death toll revised upward repeatedly in a day

The blast happened around noon local time (0900 GMT) at the HABAS plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir province. The governor's office first reported three dead, 14 injured and 10 missing; it later updated the toll to six dead and eight missing, before Governor Suleyman Elban said in the evening that 10 people had died, four were missing and 15 were injured. Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said the exact number of casualties would only be known once the debris is cleared.

Crane fell into the furnace

According to the governor's office, initial findings indicate the explosion was triggered when an overhead crane snapped and fell into an arc furnace during the casting of liquid steel. Broadcaster NTV showed images of a large fire inside the facility and a tall column of smoke rising.

Witnesses: 'It felt like an earthquake'

Witness Nuri Ali Ulker told the state-run Anadolu news agency: "The ground shook. It was very intense." Another witness, Deniz Ulker, said the explosion "felt like the earth's crust was shifting beneath us. I thought it was an earthquake."

Rescue and investigation under way

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said emergency teams fought the blaze while searching for casualties, and that the injured had been taken to hospital and were being closely monitored. The governor's office said an investigation had been launched, and Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said four public prosecutors had been assigned to the case.

The HABAS plant was established in 1987 and can produce 4.5 million tons of steel a year, according to the company's website. Aliaga is a large port known for shipbreaking, which critics say has caused significant environmental damage. The disaster came as world leaders and environmental activists gathered in Antalya, on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, for talks on curbing climate change.

Update, November 9: President puts death toll at 16

President Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting that the blast had killed 16 people and injured 15. Reuters and Sky News both reported the president's figure. Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban had earlier said in a televised update that 10 people had died, four were missing and 15 were injured; the two counts have not been fully reconciled. Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said the exact toll would only be known once the debris had been cleared. Rescue work continues.

Update, November 9 (evening): Death toll rises to 17

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said a critically injured worker had died, raising the death toll to 17. President Erdogan had earlier put the toll at 16 dead and 13 injured; other reports put the injured at 12, and the figures have not been fully reconciled. Officials have not said separately whether the four workers the governor earlier listed as missing are included in the death toll. Preliminary findings point to a crane falling into an electric arc furnace; the exact cause is still under investigation. All of the dead were factory workers.

Update, evening of November 9: cause confirmed as hydrogen explosion; at least five detained

Investigators have preliminarily confirmed the blast was a hydrogen explosion: a boiler being moved by an overhead crane fell into an arc furnace, and about 120 tonnes of molten steel touching its water-cooled panels set off the explosion. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek has assigned four prosecutors to the case, and Turkish media citing the prosecutor's office report at least five people have been detained. The death toll remains 17 (the health minister's figure), while the number of injured is reported as 12 to 13, with sources differing; officials have not separately explained whether the four workers earlier reported missing are counted among the dead. President Erdoğan said judicial and administrative investigations would examine the cause and whether negligence contributed.