‘Enough is enough, we don’t want to die!’: Anger as 17 killed in Turkiye steel factory blast

An explosion at a steel factory in western Turkey killed 17 people and injured 13 more, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The blast occurred at the Habas steel plant, located about 60 kilometers north of the port city of Izmir. Erdogan vowed to find those responsible for the incident, which took place during a boiler replacement operation.

Eyewitnesses reported a crane collapsing onto a furnace filled with molten steel, causing a massive hydrogen explosion. Workers' groups have criticized Habas for its poor safety record. The left-wing Evrensel daily reported that anti-riot police had blocked access to the hospital where the injured were being treated, and a worker's brother had set himself on fire outside the factory in protest.