Turkey steel factory blast kills at least 17 people

9 November 2026, 18: 04 GMT. Updated 2 hours ago.

Key points

• Workplace accidents remain a chronic difficulty in Turkey, the Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation, stated.
• All those killed and injured were workers at the Habas Demir Celik plant in Aliaga, one of the country's leading steel producers, authorities remarked.
• The Habas plant is in the Izmir district of Aliaga which is a major port and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking hubs.
• Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban informed media that some residents were believed to still be under the rubble.
• While search and rescue operations continued, speaking after a cabinet session on Monday, Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and stated investigations were under way.

At least 17 individuals have died and 12 others have been injured in an explosion at an iron and steel factory near the port city of Izmir in western Turkey.

All those killed and injured were workers at the Habas Demir Celik plant in Aliaga, one of the country's leading steel producers, authorities remarked. Footage from the scene indicated a substantial fire inside the facility and a towering column of smoke rising into the air.

Meanwhile, the local governor remarked the blast happened around midday after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing materials to fall into a furnace below.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan originally remarked the death toll was 16, but the Health Minister, Kemal Memişoğlu, afterwards confirmed that one of those who had been critically injured had afterwards died, taking the toll to 17.

Eyewitnesses at the scene remarked the explosion shook the ground, with one person initially believing an earthquake had struck.

In an official note, the firm that runs the factory stated the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces.

At least five individuals have been arrested, according BBC News's Turkish service, citing local media reports.

Notably, the Habas plant is in the Izmir district of Aliaga which is a major port and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking hubs.

For now, turkey steel factory blast kills at least 17 people remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.