Authorities in Türkiye have ordered the detention of 11 suspects in connection with an explosion at a steel plant in Izmir, western Türkiye, that killed 17 workers on Monday, Deputy Justice Minister Can Tuncay said Tuesday.
The suspects include the factory manager, the steelworks manager, maintenance and engineering personnel, the company’s Aliağa branch manager and its board chairperson, Tuncay told reporters after inspecting the site in Aliağa district.
The explosion occurred Monday at the HABAŞ iron and steel plant during steelmaking operations. According to Tuncay, the blast happened when a crane runway beam detached from its columns, supports and connections while a vessel associated with the plant’s third electric arc furnace was being moved. The beam, charging crane and vessel fell, triggering the explosion.
Some 17 workers were killed, while one of the injured remained in critical condition, Tuncay said. One worker was still unaccounted for following an application by the family, and inspections at the site continued.
A preliminary expert report had been received, Tuncay said, adding that further assessments would be conducted as the investigation progressed. He said the Aliağa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was continuing its examination with the assistance of gendarmerie teams until the on-site procedures were completed.
According to forensic examinations, the deaths resulted from burns classified as carbonization, Tuncay added.
He said investigators were also examining reports and allegations of previous worker deaths at the factory. Two separate investigations into earlier accidents at the facility were already underway, and prosecutors would assess them alongside the latest case, potentially combining the proceedings depending on the evidence and judicial authorities’ decisions.
“We will fully uphold the rights and legal interests of the workers who died and were injured,” Tuncay said, adding that the Justice Ministry and prosecutors would provide transparent updates as the investigation continued.
Erdoğan orders investigations
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday that judicial and administrative investigations had been launched to establish the cause of the explosion and determine whether negligence was involved.
“The cause and circumstances of this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our nation, as well as any negligence and those responsible, will be established,” Erdoğan said after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.
The explosion occurred around noon during steel casting operations at the plant in Aliağa, according to the Izmir Governor’s Office. Initial assessments indicated that an overhead crane broke away and fell into an electric arc furnace, triggering the blast.
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