Izmir governor Süleyman Elban said some people were believed to remain trapped under the rubble. Search and rescue teams were continuing operations to reach those affected by the blast.
At least 17 people were killed and 12 others injured in western Turkey in a factory blast on Monday. The death toll rose to 17 after one of the injured workers, who was in critical condition, died later, Turkey’s health minister Kemal Memişoğlu said. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations into the incident were under way.
Eyewitnesses said the explosion was so powerful that it shook the ground. “Unfortunately, another of our citizens has lost their life in the explosion at a steel factory in İzmir and the fire that followed, after being in critical condition,” he wrote in a post on X. At least five people have been arrested in connection with the incident, according to a BBC report, citing local media reports. Izmir governor Süleyman Elban said some people were believed to remain trapped under the rubble. He also said search and rescue operations were continuing.
The explosion ripped through an iron and steel factory, with search and rescue operations continuing amid reports that workers were still trapped under the rubble. Footage from the scene showed a large fire inside the factory, with thick plumes of smoke and dust rising above the facility. One person initially believed an earthquake had struck. Search and rescue teams were continuing operations to reach those affected by the blast.