In brief
A blast at the HABAS iron and steel plant in Aliaga, Western Turkey, killed 16 workers on Nov. 9. The explosion occurred around noon during scheduled maintenance of an electric arc furnace. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the death toll increase and said authorities are investigating the cause and possible negligence.
A massive blast at the HABAS iron and steel plant in the Aliaga district of western Turkey killed 16 people on Nov. 9.
The explosion happened at about 12:00 p.m. local time during planned maintenance of one of the plant’s electric arc furnaces, according to a statement from HABAS.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the death toll increase at a press conference and said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blast and any negligence involved.
The explosion caused severe structural damage and sparked a fire that was later brought under control by emergency crews. Top officials, including the Labor and Social Security Minister and the Energy and Natural Resources Minister, have traveled to Izmir to oversee the operations.