At least 17 people have died and 12 others have been injured in an explosion at an iron and steel factory near the port city of Izmir in western Turkey. All those killed and injured were workers at the Habas Demir Çelik plant in Aliağa, one of the country’s leading steel producers, authorities said.

Footage from the scene showed a large fire inside the facility and a towering column of smoke. 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.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan originally said the death toll was 16; Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu later announced that one of those critically injured had died, taking the toll to 17. Eyewitnesses said the explosion shook the ground, with one person initially believing an earthquake had struck.

In a statement, the company that runs the factory said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance on one of the plant’s electric arc furnaces. Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban told media that some people were believed to still be under the rubble.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdoğan confirmed the deaths and said investigations were under way while search and rescue continued. At least five people have been arrested, according to BBC News’s Turkish service, citing local media.

The Habas plant is in Izmir’s Aliağa district — a major port and one of Turkey’s main shipbreaking hubs. Workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in Turkey, the independent Turkish Health and Safety Labor Watch said.

Source consulted: Turkey steel factory blast kills at least 17 people — BBC News