Explosion at the HABAS steel plant in Izmir: 10 dead, four under the rubble

Explosion and fire at the HABAS steel plant

An explosion and fire broke out at the HABAS steel plant in the Aliağa district of the western Turkish port city of Izmir, killing 10 workers. Rescue teams continued searching for four more people who, according to preliminary reports, remained under the rubble. According to Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban, 15 people were injured, two of them in critical condition. This was reported by Deutsche Welle citing statements from the authorities.

What happened according to the authorities

According to the governor's office's initial statement, the explosion occurred around midday (09:00 GMT), when an overhead crane toppled into a furnace during the pouring of molten steel. The authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. The governor noted that at the moment of the explosion the production line was in the middle of a shift change rather than active production, so about 200 workers were present at the plant instead of the expected 300. Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said on X that the initial fire had been extinguished, but the exact number of dead and injured would only become clear once the rubble is cleared. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said the injured had been taken to hospital and their condition was being monitored, while Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced the appointment of four state prosecutors to the case.

Eyewitnesses and reaction

Eyewitnesses described the force of the explosion as seismic: Nuri Ali Ülker told the state agency Anadolu that 'the ground was shaking', while Deniz Ülker said the explosion 'felt as if the earth's crust was shifting beneath us — I thought it was an earthquake'. The left-wing opposition TIP party blamed the government, calling the incident a 'workplace murder' and saying it had once again demonstrated the country's complete disregard for occupational safety. Party leader Erkan Baş wrote that 'the bosses' regime has declared war on the workers', while trade union leader Basaran Aksu demanded the labour minister's resignation, warning that 'workers' blood' is being spilled for profit.

Context

The HABAS plant was founded in 1987 and, according to the company, can produce 4.5 million tonnes of steel a year. According to the independent Turkish NGO Health and Safety Labor Watch, 226 workplace deaths were recorded in the country in September alone this year — these figures are cited in the publication against the backdrop of the opposition's accusations against the authorities. Information about the cause of the explosion and the final death toll remained incomplete at the time of publication: the investigation was ongoing, and the fate of the four missing workers had not been confirmed.