At least 16 people have died and 13 others have been injured following an explosion at a major iron and steel manufacturing plant in western Türkiye, prompting a criminal investigation into the circumstances of the disaster.
The blast occurred on Monday at the HABAŞ factory in Aliağa, approximately 60 kilometres north of İzmir, while workers were carrying out maintenance operations.
İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban said an overhead crane collapsed during work on a furnace, causing equipment to fall into an electric arc furnace and damaging a natural gas line.
The resulting explosion triggered a fire and sent thick smoke rising above the industrial facility as emergency crews responded.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the death toll after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara, saying 13 injured people were receiving treatment, including two in serious condition.
The casualty figures had risen throughout the day as rescuers searched the damaged facility and recovered additional victims.
Authorities initially reported three deaths before later updates established the much higher toll.
The president said judicial and administrative investigations would examine how the explosion occurred and determine whether negligence or other failures contributed to the tragedy.
Prosecutors in Menemen assigned four investigators to the case. Turkish media, citing the prosecutor's office, reported that six suspects had been detained as part of the investigation.
The disaster has renewed concerns about workplace safety in Türkiye's heavy industrial sector.
Workers' organisations and opposition groups have alleged that the HABAŞ facility had experienced previous safety problems. Those allegations have not been established as the cause of Monday's explosion.
The factory is operated by HABAŞ, a privately owned industrial group with steel production capacity estimated at 4.5 million tonnes annually.
Emergency services continued their response as officials worked to establish the full extent of the damage and confirm the final number of casualties.
The investigation is expected to examine maintenance procedures, equipment failure and compliance with industrial safety requirements.
