The latest: Devastating blast shatters Habaş steel facility in İzmir
November 9, 2026 · Aliağa, Turkey.
A catastrophic industrial explosion tore through one of Turkey's largest heavy metallurgical plants on Monday, killing at least 16 steelworkers and leaving 13 others injured, several critically, after a massive overhead crane collapsed onto an electric arc furnace during scheduled maintenance work.
The tragedy occurred at approximately 11:46 a.m. local time (08:46 GMT) inside the rolling and casting compound of the Habaş Iron and Steel Works (HABAŞ Demir Çelik), situated in the coastal industrial port zone of Aliağa in western Turkey's İzmir province. The sudden detonation rattled buildings miles away and collapsed the steel roof framing above the active smelting floor, burying maintenance specialists and furnace operators beneath hundreds of tons of twisted iron girders and hot slag.
Emergency medical teams, urban search-and-rescue units from Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), and dozens of regional fire crews raced to the scene to combat multi-story flames and search for trapped personnel amid extreme heat.
Rescuers search twisted metal as prosecutors detain five plant officials
Hospitals across Aliağa, Menemen, and central İzmir were placed on mass-casualty disaster alerts as ambulances evacuated 13 injured workers from the factory grounds. Health authorities confirmed that at least two victims remain in critical condition with severe respiratory trauma and third-degree industrial burns.
As rescue operations continued to clear tons of collapsed steel framework, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a nationwide televised address expressing profound grief for the victims and pledging that those responsible for safety violations would face severe judicial penalties.
The Menemen Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced the immediate launch of an official criminal inquiry into reckless workplace homicide and industrial negligence, assigning five senior prosecutors to lead the probe. Within hours of the explosion, authorities executed detention warrants against five senior Habaş plant supervisors, including the site maintenance director, occupational health supervisor, and crane inspection contractor.
What remains unresolved following the industrial catastrophe
Turkish safety agencies and prosecutors are pursuing critical lines of inquiry:
- Crane inspection certification: Investigators are reviewing load-testing certificates to determine whether the overhead crane had undergone legally mandated load capacity tests before attempting the boiler lift.
- Gas isolation valve automated shutoffs: Engineers are investigating why automated emergency shutoff valves on the natural gas mains failed to isolate the line immediately upon sudden depressurization.
- Structural stability of adjacent units: Structural engineers are inspecting neighboring furnace bays to assess whether shockwaves compromised adjoining foundational walls or chemical storage tanks.
