Explosion at steel plant in Turkey kills 16, president says
Authorities said the blast likely began when a crane fell into a furnace during steel casting, leaving 16 dead and search teams still looking for survivors.
- On Monday, November 9, 2026, an overhead crane toppled into a furnace at the HABAŞ iron and steel plant in Aliağa, İzmir, sparking a massive explosion and fire that killed 6 workers and left 8 missing.
- The incident occurred around midday when a ceiling crane snapped during liquid steel casting and fell into an arc furnace. Established in 1987, the HABAŞ facility produces 4.5 million tons of steel annually, underscoring the scale of industrial operations at the site.
- Emergency teams continue removing debris to reach trapped workers. Witness Nuri Ali Ulker described the blast as "very intense," saying "I thought it was an earthquake" as the ground shook from the explosion's force.
- Justice Minister Akin Gurlek assigned 4 public prosecutors to investigate the incident. Union spokesperson Oktay Turk condemned the disaster as a "massacre," demanding justice and calling for accountability for those responsible.
- The tragedy follows two other recent worker deaths at the HABAŞ site, intensifying safety concerns. Nationally, at least 1,736 workers died in Turkey during the first 9 months of 2026, reflecting systemic workplace risks across industries.
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262 Articles
In a steel plant in Aliaga in the Turkish province of Izmir, a ceiling crane broke down and fell into an industrial furnace during the casting process. 16 people died, the number of deaths could increase.
Chronicle Online
Explosion at steel plant in western Turkey leaves 16 dead and 13 injured
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that a huge explosion and fire at an iron and steel works in western Turkey have left at least 16 people dead. The blast and blaze happened Monday at the HABAS plant in Izmir…
At least 16 people have died after an explosion at a steel plant in Turkey, according to the country's President Erdogan.
El Periódico
Sixteen workers were killed and thirteen injured this Monday due to a heavy explosion and a subsequent fire at a steel plant in Aliaga, in western Turkey, according to the balance sheet of the government's victims, who announced that an investigation is under way into whether there was negligence.
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