A powerful explosion rocked the Habaş metallurgical plant in the Aliaga district of Turkey's Izmir province, sparking a fire at the facility. According to NTV, the incident left people dead and injured, and a significant number of workers are reported to be possibly trapped under the rubble, infohub.kz reports.
The blast occurred during the daytime and was, according to eyewitnesses, extremely powerful. Thick smoke from the fire rose so high that it could be seen from various districts of Izmir. Footage from the scene circulated widely on social media.
Fire crews were dispatched to the scene immediately. Rescuers began working to extinguish the blaze at the metallurgical plant.
Information on the exact death toll and number of injured, as well as the cause of the explosion and the extent of the damage, is still being confirmed. No official data on the scale of the tragedy had been released as of publication.