In brief
A large explosion at the HABAS iron and steel plant in Aliaga, western Turkey, killed three employees and injured fourteen more, with ten workers caught beneath collapsed wreckage. The blaze was triggered when a ceiling crane snapped into an arc furnace during liquid steel casting, according to official statements. Rescue operations are ongoing while authorities investigate the incident.
A massive explosion at the HABAS iron and steel plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir killed three workers, injured fourteen, and left ten trapped under collapsed debris, officials said on Monday.
The blast occurred at roughly 12:00 p.m. local time (09:00 GMT) when a ceiling crane collapsed into an arc furnace as liquid steel was being cast, a cause identified by an initial assessment from the Izmir Governor’s Office.
According to the governor's office statement, “three of our citizens have lost their lives, and a total of 14 citizens have been injured, three of whom are in critical condition,” and the injured have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci posted a message on social media that all relevant state units were rapidly deployed to the scene and were coordinating uninterrupted search, rescue, and firefighting operations.
The statement also confirmed that search and rescue teams are working continuously to reach the ten workers trapped under the collapsed structures, and that a comprehensive investigation has been launched into the incident.
A follow‑up statement from the Associated Press repeated the same casualty figures and noted that the fire at the HABAS plant also left 14 people injured, three of them critically. The AP emphasized that the injury count and the extent of the damage are consistent with the Xinhua report.
The HABAS plant is a major facility in Turkey’s steel‑making sector, and the explosion has raised concerns about safety protocols in high‑risk manufacturing environments. Local authorities have pledged to review safety procedures and improve emergency response procedures after the event.
Rescue teams are still on the ground, attempting to free the workers trapped beneath rubble, while investigators are examining footage and witnesses to determine whether additional safety failures contributed to the incident. The surviving workers have not been officially released from the site, and the situation remains fluid as emergency workers continue to work around the clock.
