Explosion at HABAŞ Steel Plant in İzmir Kills at Least 19 Workers

At least 19 workers died following a powerful explosion and subsequent fire at a steel plant in the Aliağa district of İzmir, according to Medyascope.

The disaster struck the HABAŞ Demir Çelik Fabrikası on November 9, 2026, during a ladle change operation, according to İHA.

Initial evaluations by the İzmir Governor’s Office indicated that the incident occurred when an overhead crane snapped and dropped into the arc furnace during a liquid steel pouring operation, Medyascope reported.

Menemen Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an immediate investigation into the blast, deploying four public prosecutors and an expert panel to inspect the scene while search-and-rescue operations worked to reach workers trapped under the rubble, according to Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.

en az 19 kişi hayatını kaybetti

YENİ Parti leader Özel, and Anahtar Parti leader Yavuz Ağıralioğlu issued messages extending condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

“İş kazalarının önlenmesi, çalışanların yaşam hakkının korunması ve iş güvenliği tedbirlerinin eksiksiz uygulanması ertelenemez bir sorumluluktur. Patlamanın tüm yönleriyle aydınlatılmasını, ihmaller varsa sorumluların ortaya çıkarılmasını ve benzer acıların bir daha yaşanmaması için gerekli önlemlerin alınmasını diliyorum,” said Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Medyascope reported that six people were initially detained, including HABAŞ Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Mehmet Rüştü Başaran.

Subsequent court proceedings led to nine total suspects being remanded into custody, while Başaran and one other individual were placed under house arrest, according to DW.com and İHA.

Kiminin ölümü iki satır mektup oluyor, kimi iliğine kadar yanıyor: Nerede bu devlet
Photo: Sözcü Gazetesi

Tensions at the Aliağa facility escalated further in the days following the explosion when management instituted a ban prohibiting workers from bringing mobile phones past the factory turnstiles, as detailed by Hürriyet.

Workers arriving for the morning shift refused to surrender their phones and launched a work stoppage outside the gates, protesting both the new restriction and the continuation of normal shipping operations while bodies were still being recovered from the wreckage, Sözcü Gazetesi reported.

Labor organizations and political groups expanded their reactions nationwide, calling for broad demonstrations ahead of a planned rally in Kartal on November 29, 2026, to protest systemic failures in occupational health and safety.

“Ölmediğimize şükrediyorduk, ama en sonki ölüm hadisesi büyük bir faciaydı. Kurtulma şansları hiç olmadı,” said Fırat Maraşlı, an employee at the plant whose brother Ferhat Maraşlı died in the explosion, in an interview with DW.com.

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Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

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