Steel plant blast kills 16 in western Turkey

A blast at a steel and iron manufacturing plant in western Turkey on Monday killed 16 people, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting. An explosion took place at around noon (4 a.m. ET) at the Habas iron and steel manufacturing plant in the Aliaga district of coastal Izmir province, the governor’s office said in a statement. According to initial findings, the incident occurred when a ceiling crane snapped and fell into an arc furnace during the liquid steel casting process. Footage broadcast by local TV stations showed large plumes of gray dust rising above the plant. Those injured were rushed to various hospitals in the region for treatment. Three of the 14 injured were in serious condition, according to the statement. Search and rescue operations were ongoing to reach 10 people still trapped under the rubble after the blast.