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Explosion at HABAS steel plant in Turkey kills 16 workers

The governor attributes the blast to a crane falling into a furnace, while prosecutors and investigators examine the cause.

Published Nov 9, 2026 · 19:49 UTC4 reports

The short version

  • An explosion and fire at the HABAS steel plant in Aliaga, Izmir province, killed 16 workers and injured 13 on Monday.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press · BBC News]
  • President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced judicial and administrative investigations, and Justice Minister Akin Gurlek assigned four public prosecutors to the case.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press]
  • The governor says a crane fell into a furnace during boiler replacement, while the company says the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance on an electric arc furnace.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • Five people were reported detained, and the Izmir mayor warned the death toll could rise once debris is cleared.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press · BBC News]

Key facts

  • An explosion and fire at the HABAS steel plant in Aliaga, Izmir province, killed 16 people and injured 13 on Monday.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press · BBC News]
  • Erdogan said two of the injured were in serious condition and announced judicial and administrative investigations.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press]
  • Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said four public prosecutors had been assigned to the case.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press]
  • Provincial Governor Suleyman Elban said a crane fell into a furnace while a boiler was being replaced, triggering the explosion.[Associated Press]
  • The company said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces.[BBC News]
  • Five people were reported detained, according to local media reports and the Demiroren News Agency.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • Eyewitness Nuri Ali Ulker described the blast as very intense and said the ground shook.[Deutsche Welle · Associated Press]
  • Izmir mayor Cemil Tugay said the exact casualty count would only be clear after debris was cleared, and feared the toll could rise.[Deutsche Welle]

What remains uncertain

  • The cause is not established; the governor's boiler-replacement crane account differs from the company's scheduled-maintenance account, and investigations are ongoing.[Associated Press · BBC News]
  • The death toll may rise, according to the Izmir mayor, because the exact number of dead and injured depends on debris clearance.[Deutsche Welle]
  • The five detentions are reported by local media and a news agency, and official confirmation was not included in the reporting.[Associated Press · BBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.