Blast at steel plant in western Turkiye kills 16

The blast struck the HABAS steel plant in the Aliaga district of coastal Izmir province at 9 a.m. GMT, the governor's office said in a statement.

According to preliminary findings, the accident occurred during molten steel casting when an overhead crane broke and fell into an electric arc furnace. The injured were taken to several hospitals in the region, with 3 of the 14 in serious condition, the statement added.

Search and rescue operations were still underway after the blast to free at least 10 people still trapped under the rubble.

According to the official website of the company, HABAS is one of Türkiye's leading steel producers, with annual liquid steel capacity of 4.5 million tonnes. Its 2024 investment added hot-rolled strip capacity of 4.5 million tonnes/year, rebar capacity of 1.9 million t/y and wire rod capacity of 500,000 t/y.

Edited by Mason Ren, rengenyu@mysteel.com