12 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant

A powerful blast ripped through an explosives plant in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday killing 12 people and injuring five others, officials said.

Footage showed shards of glass and metal scattered outside the plant, where ambulances stood by.

“According to initial reports, 12 employees died and four were taken to hospital with injuries as a result of the explosion” in the Karesi district of Balikesir province, local governor Ismail Ustaoglu said.

“I wish God’s mercy upon our deceased citizens and a speedy recovery to our wounded,” he added.

Officials later revised the number of the injured as five and added they were not in a serious condition.

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There were no staff members left inside the factory and the blaze was put out, they added.

The blast took place at 8:25 am (0525 GMT) at a section of the plant which local officials said collapsed under the force of the explosion.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the cause of the blast at the factory, which is located away from residential areas, was not immediately known.

“We are trying to find out what caused it,” he said.

Local officials pointed to “technical reasons” without elaborating as experts were still investigation at the scene.

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Authorities ruled out sabotage and prosecutors have launched a thorough investigation.

‘Battlefield’

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “deeply saddened by the death of 12 brothers,” in a message on social platform X.

He said he was briefed by all relevant institutions soon after the blast and instructed that “the necessary investigation be initiated immediately in all aspects”.

The plant, located in the north of Balikesir, makes munitions, explosives and flares for the domestic and international markets.

Witnesses told local media that part of the building was “like a battlefield”.

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The bodies of the dead were due to be carried to the morgue.

Security forces took measures in case of a second blast,  Civilians and members of the press were not allowed nearby.

Turkey has become a major defence exporter, particularly for drones, with Erdogan a major supporter of the industry.

In 2020, an explosion at a fireworks factory in northwestern Turkey killed seven people and injured 127 others.

In 2023, a blast at a military explosives factory killed five people. That factory — some 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the capital Ankara, was part of Turkey’s defence ministry.

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– By: © Agence France-Presse