World · Middle East · 2 hrs ago
Explosion at western Turkey steel plant kills 10 workers
An explosion at the HABAŞ steel plant killed at least 10 workers on Monday in Aliağa, in Turkey’s western İzmir province.
The blast started a fire and left workers trapped beneath debris at the iron and steel plant.
Governor Süleyman Elban said 15 people were in hospital, while rescue teams worked to clear a collapsed platform.
Officials’ preliminary assessment is that an overhead crane fell into an electric arc furnace while molten steel was being cast.
The cause has not been confirmed, and an investigation has been launched.
The deaths come amid wider concerns about workplace safety in Turkey, where a monitoring group counted at least 1,736 work-related deaths in the first nine months of 2026.
Rescue work and the investigation are continuing as officials establish what happened.
An explosion and fire at the HABAS steel plant in Aliaga, western Turkey, killed six people, according to updated reports.
Rescuers searched for workers trapped beneath debris, with reports putting the number missing at eight.
The blast injured workers, though sources gave differing injury totals.
Officials said preliminary findings pointed to an overhead crane falling into a furnace during liquid steel casting.
Authorities launched an investigation into the incident.
- Who
- Workers at the HABAS iron and steel plant were killed and injured; rescuers searched for missing workers.
- What
- An explosion and fire killed six people. Reports said eight workers were missing, while injury totals differed.
- When
- Monday, November 9, 2026, around noon local time.
- Where
- The HABAS plant in Aliaga, in Turkey’s western Izmir province.
- Why
- Preliminary findings indicated that an overhead crane fell into a furnace during liquid steel casting.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
An explosion at the plant sparked a fire during liquid steel casting.
The governor’s office initially reported three deaths, 14 injured and 10 people trapped under rubble.
Officials updated the death toll to six after one injured person died and two people were found dead beneath debris.
Reports said rescuers were searching for eight missing workers, while officials said an investigation had been launched.
- Deaths
- Six reported by updated accounts
- Missing
- Eight workers, according to AP
- Location
- HABAS plant, Aliaga, Izmir province
- Time
- Around noon on November 9, 2026
- Suspected cause
- Overhead crane fell into a furnace during liquid steel casting
- Investigation
- Launched, according to officials
5 sources
[UPDATE] At least 10 workers killed in explosion at steel plant in western Turkey
Turkey steel factory blast kills 6
Six dead in blast at steel factory near Turkiye’s Izmir: officials
Steel plant blast kills 3, leaves 10 missing in western Turkey
Explosion at steel plant in Turkey leaves 6 dead and 8 missing
What people are saying
It felt like the ground was shifting beneath us, I thought it was an earthquake. When I looked at the factory across the street, thick black smoke was coming out. A fire broke out where the chimney was.
It was like a bomb going off
The exact number of casualties would only be known once the debris is cleared.
Our injured compatriots have been taken to hospitals and their health is being closely monitored