At least 11 people were killed in an ammunition factory explosion in northwestern Türkiye

At least 11 people were killed and seven others were injured on Tuesday, in an explosion that occurred at an ammunition factory in northwestern Türkiye, according to a new toll from the authorities.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement from the site of the explosion: “Unfortunately, there are 11 dead… eight women and three men. There are seven wounded.”
A previous toll reported by the Turkish Minister of Health, Kemal Memisoglu, on the X platform indicated that 12 people were killed and five wounded were transferred to hospitals.
The governor of Balikesir (Balikessar) state, Ismail Ustaoglu, said, “The explosion occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT) on Tuesday, due to a “technical glitch” on a production line.

Not dangerous

Ustaoglu explained that the employees injured in the explosion were taken to hospital, but their condition was not serious.
According to local authorities, the factory where the explosion occurred produces ammunition and explosives for civilian use.
Pictures broadcast by Turkish television stations showed a section of the factory completely destroyed, with metal panels and pieces of glass flying dozens of meters away.
A witness described the site as a “battlefield” on NTV News.

Factory evacuation

The same source indicated that firefighters were able to put out a fire that broke out after the explosion, and the factory was completely evacuated.
The factory is located about a kilometer from the nearest village north of the city of Blixar, according to satellite images seen by Agence France-Presse.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences and sent the Interior and Labor Ministers to the site.

sabotage

An investigation was opened into the incident, and the possibility of sabotage was ruled out, according to the authorities.
In June 2023, five people were killed in an explosion at an explosives factory in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
In July 2020, seven people were killed and about 130 injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Sakarya (northwest).
Two explosions occurred in the same factory in 2009 and 2014, killing two people and wounding about 40 people, according to Turkish media.