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Explosion at steel plant in western Turkey leaves 10 dead, 4 missing
An explosion and fire at the HABAS iron and steelworks in western Turkey killed 10 people on Monday, while rescuers searched for four workers believed to be trapped beneath wreckage. The incident also injured 15 people, two critically; the governor said the casualty count might change as debris is cleared.
Officials said an overhead crane fell into a furnace during the casting of liquid steel around noon, causing the blast. Emergency teams fought the fire and searched for casualties, while an investigation began and four prosecutors were assigned to the case. The plant, established in 1987, has an annual steel production capacity of 4.5 million tonnes.
In short
- Ten people died in an explosion and fire at a western Turkey steelworks.
- Four workers remained missing as rescuers searched the wreckage.
- Officials said a crane fell into a furnace during steel casting.
Explained simply
Steel is made by heating and shaping iron, often in large plants with furnaces and heavy machinery. In casting, molten steel is poured and formed into solid shapes; the process involves very high temperatures.
The HABAS works is an iron and steel plant in western Turkey, established in 1987. Its reported capacity is 4.5 million tonnes of steel a year, making it a substantial industrial site.
The incident is being examined by Turkish authorities, including prosecutors, while emergency crews search the damaged area. The findings may help establish how the equipment failure occurred and whether safety procedures were followed.