At least 17 people have died and 12 others have been injured in the explosion at the Habas Demir Celik iron and steel plant in Aliaga, near the port city of Izmir in western Turkey, the BBC reported. All those killed and injured were workers at the plant, one of Turkey's leading steel producers, authorities said, and footage from the scene showed a large fire inside the facility and a towering column of smoke.

Source: BBC News, Nov 9, 2026

Health minister announces the latest death

President Erdogan originally said the death toll was 16, but Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu later announced that one of those who had been critically injured had died, taking the toll to 17, the BBC reported. In a post on X, Memisoglu wrote: "Unfortunately, another of our citizens has lost their life in the explosion at a steel factory in Izmir and the fire that followed, after being in critical condition."

Source: BBC News, Nov 9, 2026

Five reported arrested; some still believed under the rubble

At least five people have been arrested, according to BBC News's Turkish service, citing local media reports. Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban told media that some people were believed to still be under the rubble. Speaking after the cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan confirmed the deaths and said investigations were under way, while search and rescue operations continued. The local governor said the blast happened around midday after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing materials to fall into a furnace below, and the company that runs the factory said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance work on one of the plant's electric arc furnaces.

Source: BBC News, Nov 9, 2026

Eyewitnesses at the scene said the explosion shook the ground, with one person initially believing an earthquake had struck. Workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey, the Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch, an independent civil society organisation, said, according to the BBC. The Habas plant is in Aliaga, a major port district of Izmir and one of Turkey's main shipbreaking hubs.

How the toll climbed, and what happens next

The governor's office first reported three dead, 14 injured and 10 people trapped under the rubble on Monday. The toll then rose to six, to 10 in Governor Elban's afternoon update, and to 16 in Erdogan's post-cabinet announcement, before Memisoglu's announcement took it to 17. Official injured counts have varied through the day — figures between 12 and 15 have been given in different statements — and Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay has said the exact number of casualties will become clear only once the debris is removed. Search and rescue work and the prosecutors' investigation are continuing.

The Habas plant was established in 1987 and can produce about 4.5 million tons of steel a year, according to the company's website. Awaaz Punjab will update this story as Turkish officials release verified new figures from the rescue and the investigation.