Eleven people were killed and seven injured Tuesday by a powerful explosion at a munitions factory in northwest Turkey, according to a new report from the authorities.
“Unfortunately, there are eleven dead (…), eight women and three men. And we have seven injured,” declared Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on the spot. A previous official report reported twelve dead and five injured.
Balikesir provincial governor Ismail Ustaoglu said the explosion occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT) on Tuesday due to a “technical malfunction” on a production line.
Only two of the seven injured are still “under observation” in a hospital, said the Turkish Interior Minister. According to authorities, the factory where the explosion occurred, located north of the city of Balikesir, produces ammunition and explosives for civilian use.
Six employees at the same factory had already been injured in an explosion in 2014, according to the Turkish press. Images broadcast by Turkish television channels show part of the factory completely destroyed, as well as metal panels and pieces of glass thrown dozens of meters around.
A witness described the scene as a “battlefield” to the 24-hour news channel NTV. A fire that broke out following the explosion was extinguished in the morning by firefighters, and the factory was quickly evacuated.
An investigation has been opened and the possibility of sabotage has already been ruled out, according to the authorities. The factory is located about a kilometer from the nearest village, according to satellite images consulted by AFP. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences and sent his ministers of Defense, Interior and Labor to the site.
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