Crane collapse at Turkish steel plant triggers blast, killing 16 workers

At least 16 people are dead and 13 injured after an explosion tore through an iron and steel factory in Aliaga, a district of the port city of Izmir in western Turkey. Authorities confirmed all the dead and injured were workers at the Habas plant, one of Turkey's leading steel producers. Footage from the scene showed a large fire burning inside the facility and a towering column of smoke rising above it.

Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban said the blast struck around midday when a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, sending materials crashing into a furnace below. The company said the accident happened during scheduled maintenance on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces. Elban added that some people are believed to still be trapped under the rubble.

Eyewitnesses described the ground shaking, with one person initially thinking an earthquake had hit. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, confirmed the death toll and said investigations were under way as search and rescue operations continued. He said two of the injured are in serious condition.

Citing local media reports, BBC News's Turkish service says at least five people have been arrested. The Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation, says workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey. Aliaga, where the plant sits, is a major port and one of the country's main shipbreaking hubs.