Turkish ammunition plant explosion kills 11, injures 7
Turkish officials ruled out the possibility of sabotage in the explosion.
ANKARA — An explosion at an ammunition plant in northwest Turkey on Tuesday killed 11 people and wounded seven others, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
Five of the wounded are still receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, he added, noting that eight of the deceased were female workers.
The explosion at the plant in Turkey’s northwestern province of Balikesir occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time and caused significant damage to the plant, TV footage from the scene showed.
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Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu ruled out the possibility of sabotage. “The injured are in good condition,” he said, adding, “The explosion took place due to technical reasons and there is no possibility of sabotage.”
The privately owned plant was manufacturing explosives, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu News Agency reported.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said four prosecutors and a team of experts have been assigned to investigate the explosion.
Separately, Turkish Labor Minister Vedat Isikhan said two chief inspectors were assigned to investigate whether there was an occupational safety failure.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed his condolences to the families that lost their loved ones in the explosion.
“I am deeply saddened," he wrote on X.
Later on Tuesday, Yerlikaya and Isikhan as well as Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler traveled to Balikesir.
Speaking at the blast site, Isikhan said the plant, which employed more than 600 workers, performed regular safety checks over the past years and no shortcomings were spotted.
