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At least 17 people died and 12 others were injured in an explosion at a steel factory near the western Turkish port city of Izmir.
All the victims, killed or injured, worked at the Habas Demir Celik factory in Aliaga, one of the country's main steel producers, authorities said. Images taken on site show a large fire inside the factory and a tall column of smoke rising into the air.
The local governor said the explosion occurred around midday after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing material to fall into a furnace below.
Workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Türkiye, said the Turkish Occupational Health and Safety Observatory, an independent civil society organization.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially announced a death toll of 16, but Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu later announced that one seriously injured person had died, bringing the death toll to 17.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said the explosion caused the ground to shake, with one person initially believing an earthquake had occurred.
In a statement, the company operating the plant said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces.
Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban told media that some people were still buried under the rubble.
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Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations were underway, while search and rescue operations continued.
At least five people were arrested, according to the BBC News Turkish service, citing local media.
The Habas factory is located in the Aliaga district of Izmir, a major port and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking centers.
We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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