Turkey steel plant explosion death toll rises to at least 17

UPDATE: At least 17 workers have died after an explosion at a steel plant in Aliaga, near Izmir in western Turkey. Twelve people were reported injured as search and rescue work continued. The death toll rose from 16 after a critically injured person died, according to the health minister.

published reporting governor said a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed during maintenance, causing material to fall into a furnace. The operator said the accident happened during scheduled work on an electric arc furnace. These are initial accounts, not the conclusions of a completed investigation into the cause or responsibility.

The governor said some people were believed to remain beneath the rubble. Footage showed fire and a large column of smoke, while witnesses described the force of the blast shaking the ground. Emergency teams continued searching the site.

Reports citing local media said at least five people had been arrested. Arrests do not establish guilt, and the report did not provide a final determination of negligence. Judicial and administrative investigations are examining the circumstances.

Earlier information put the toll at 16 dead and 13 injured. The updated figures reflect the later report that an injured person had died, rather than a separate explosion. The same ongoing incident is being tracked here as officials assess casualties and investigators examine what happened.