A powerful blast ripped through an explosives plant in northwestern Turkiye on Tuesday killing 12 people and injuring five others, officials said. Footage showed shards of glass and metal scattered outside the plant, where ambulances stood by. \u201cAccording to initial reports, 12 employees died and four were taken to hospital with injuries as a result of the explosion\u201d in the Karesi district of Balikesir province, local governor Ismail Ustaoglu said. \u201cI wish God\u2019s mercy upon our deceased citizens and a speedy recovery to our wounded,\u201d he added. Officials later revised the number of the injured as five and added they were not in a serious condition. There were no staff members left inside the factory and the blaze was put out, they added. The blast took place at 8:25am (0525 GMT) at a section of the plant which local officials said collapsed under the force of the explosion. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the cause of the blast at the factory, which is located away from residential areas, was not immediately known. \u201cWe are trying to find out what caused it,\u201d he said. Local officials pointed to \u201ctechnical reasons\u201d without elaborating as experts were still investigating at the scene. Authorities ruled out sabotage and prosecutors have launched a thorough investigation. \u2018Battlefield\u2019 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was \u201cdeeply saddened by the death of 12 brothers,\u201d in a message on social platform X. He said he was briefed by all relevant institutions soon after the blast and instructed that \u201cthe necessary investigation be initiated immediately in all aspects\u201d. The plant, located in the north of Balikesir, makes munitions, explosives and flares for the domestic and international markets. Witnesses told local media that part of the building was \u201clike a battlefield\u201d. The bodies of the dead were due to be carried to the morgue. Security forces took measures in case of a second blast. Civilians and members of the press were not allowed nearby. Turkiye has become a major defence exporter, particularly for drones, with Erdogan a major supporter of the industry. In 2020, an explosion at a fireworks factory in northwestern Turkiye killed seven people and injured 127 others. In 2023, a blast at a military explosives factory killed five people. That factory \u2014 some 40 kilometres east of the capital Ankara, was part of Turkiye\u2019s defence ministry. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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