At least ten people have lost their lives and another 15 have been injured this Monday after a powerful explosion recorded at a metallurgical plant located in the Turkish city of Aliaga, in the province of Izmir, in the west of the country, according to what Turkish authorities have said.
The blast occurred around midday, during some steel smelting operations at the facilities of the HABAS plant. The provincial authorities have indicated that emergency teams continue search and rescue operations to locate at least four employees who are believed to still be trapped under the remains of the structure.
Governor Suleiman Elban has explained to the media that the death toll has gone from three to ten, while four of the 15 injured, all of them admitted to health centers, are in a state of "critical."
The explosion has also sparked a fire that has damaged part of the industrial complex and has forced the deployment of the Fire Department, medical personnel, and specialized rescue teams. The injured have been evacuated to different hospitals in the area to receive medical care.
The Menemen Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation to clarify what happened and four magistrates have been appointed to instruct the case, according to what the Turkish Minister of Justice, Akin Gurlek, has reported through his social media.