The death toll from the explosion at the HABAŞ iron and steel plant near the Turkish city of Izmir has reached 17. The incident occurred around noon on November 9 in the Aliaga district, while scheduled maintenance work was being carried out on an electric arc furnace at the facility.
Initially, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reported that 16 people had been killed and 13 injured. Later, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu confirmed that one of the seriously injured victims had died in hospital. Turkish media published varying figures for the number of injured, putting it at between 12 and 15 people.
A crane fell into the furnace
According to Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban, an overhead crane used to replace a boiler fell onto the furnace. The fall damaged a gas pipeline and triggered the powerful explosion, followed by a fire in the production hall.
Labour Minister Vedat Işıkhan said that natural gas and oxygen pipes had been severed in the incident. The exact sequence of events and any violations of safety regulations are still being clarified.
“The inspections will establish all the circumstances and clarify whether negligence or omissions contributed to the deaths of the workers,” Işıkhan said.
11 people detained
Six people were initially detained in connection with the case. Later, Turkish media reported that the number of detainees had risen to 11. At this stage, there is no information that charges have been brought against them, and detention does not mean that guilt has been established.
Four prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation. The Turkish Social Security Institution has appointed a chief inspector to examine working conditions and compliance with safety requirements at the facility.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that the investigation would cover both the administrative and judicial aspects of the incident. “Anyone found to have acted negligently will be held accountable,” he said.
Occupational safety inspections
The labour minister said that 37 occupational safety specialists, two occupational physicians and one medical officer had been working at the plant. According to him, the facility had been inspected by the ministry’s inspection authorities at various times.
The investigation must establish why the crane fell, how the maintenance work was carried out and whether sufficient measures had been taken to protect the workers. Until these questions are clarified, the cause of the explosion and responsibility for it remain under investigation.
Sources: apnews.com, hurriyetdailynews.com, haberler.com