According to officials, four people were injured in the explosion at a munitions factory in Balikesir province. An explosion has ripped through an explosives factory in northwest Turkiye, killing 12 people and injuring four, according to officials.
The explosion occurred at the factory in the village of Kavakli in Balikesir province. According to initial reports, 12 employees died, and four were taken to hospital with injuries as a result of the explosion,” Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said.
Footage broadcast on local media showed shards of glass and metal scattered outside the plant, where ambulances stood by. An investigation was launched following the powerful explosion on Tuesday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, announcing the death toll.
Yerlikaya said the cause of the explosion was not immediately known, and authorities ruled out sabotage. “We are trying to find out what caused it,” he said. The explosion happened at 8:25 am (05:25 GMT), during the morning shift change, according to Al Jazeera’s Sinema Kasigluk, reporting from Istanbul.
The section where it happened – where bullet capsules are manufactured – collapsed from the impact. Kasigluk added that the blackout has led to officials doing manual searches for people who may still be inside the building.
According to the government communication directorate, fire crews have been dispatched to control the fire, and health and security units have been dispatched.
