Crane crash into furnace kills 10 at Turkish steel mill

An overhead crane collapsed into a furnace at the HABAS steel plant in Aliaga, Izmir province, killing 10 people on Monday. Provincial Governor Suleyman Elban confirmed the death toll during a televised briefing while officials continued searching for four workers trapped under the wreckage.

Fifteen people sustained injuries in the blast, with two in critical condition, Elban stated. His office initially reported three deaths and 14 wounded, but the figures were revised as rescue operations progressed. Mayor Cemil Tugay of Izmir noted that final casualty counts depend on the clearance of debris.

The incident occurred around noon local time (0900 GMT) during the casting of liquid steel. The governor’s office explained that the structural failure sent the crane into the furnace, triggering a massive explosion and fire. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that four public prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the cause of the collapse.

Witnesses described the force of the detonation. Nuri Ali Ulker, quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency, said the ground shook intensely. Another witness, Deniz Ulker, compared the sensation to an earthquake, stating that the earth’s crust felt like it was shifting beneath them.

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci posted on social media that emergency teams are managing the blaze and monitoring the health of those transported to hospitals. NTV broadcast footage of a large fire consuming the facility and a dense column of smoke rising into the sky.

The HABAS facility was built in 1987 and has an annual production capacity of 4.5 million tons of steel according to its website. Aliaga is home to a major port and a shipbreaking industry that critics say has caused environmental damage. This disaster unfolded as world leaders gathered in Antalya for climate change talks, a location on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.