An aerial view of the HABAŞ steel plant in Aliağa after the blast. (AA Photo)
Grieving families gathered in the western province of İzmir on Nov. 11 to lay to rest workers killed in a steel plant explosion, as the disaster’s death toll climbed to 18.
Funerals were held in several districts of İzmir, as well as in Manisa, Afyonkarahisar and Kırıkkale, following the completion of autopsies and DNA identification procedures. Relatives gathered at mosques and cemeteries, mourning workers whose deaths have prompted renewed scrutiny of workplace safety.
Among the victims were fathers who left behind young children and workers who had joined the factory only days before the disaster. One of the deceased had reportedly started working at the facility just four days earlier, while another had been employed there for around 18 months.
The explosion occurred on Nov. 9 at the HABAŞ iron and steel plant in the Aliağa district, around 60 kilometers north of Izmir city center. According to Deputy Justice Minister Can Tuncay, a beam supporting an overhead crane’s track became detached from its columns and connections, causing the crane and ladle to fall and triggering the explosion. The accident initially left 17 workers dead and 15 injured, with the death toll subsequently climbing to 18.
An investigation is underway into possible negligence and safety violations. Eleven people, including HABAŞ chairman Mehmet Rüştü Başaran and several senior factory officials, have been detained. Two chief labor inspectors and four prosecutors have also been assigned to the investigation.
The disaster has brought the plant’s previous workplace accidents back into focus. Two workers died in separate incidents at the facility in October and November, weeks before the explosion. One fell from a height of eight meters, while another was killed when an industrial vehicle’s tire exploded during inflation.
According to reports, at least 28 workers have died in workplace accidents at the factory over the past decade. Prosecutors are also examining earlier fatal incidents as part of the current investigation.
