At least 16 people have been killed and 13 others injured in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdogan said two of the injured were in serious condition, according to Anadolu Agency.

He also confirmed that judicial and administrative investigations had been launched to establish the cause of the explosion and determine whether negligence was involved.

An explosion occurred at around 11:46 a.m. (GMT+3) at the HABAS Iron and Steel Plant in the Aliaga district of Izmir province, Governor Suleyman Elban said.

The governor said that the incident happened during furnace replacement work. A ceiling crane reportedly collapsed, causing materials to fall into an electric arc furnace. The impact damaged a natural gas line, triggering the explosion.

The governor initially reported 10 fatalities and 15 injuries, including four workers in serious condition. The death toll subsequently rose to 16, while the number of injured was revised to 13.

Search and rescue operations were launched at the facility, with four people initially believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Approximately 200 workers were at the plant during the maintenance operation, compared with more than 300 during regular production shifts, Elban said.

No arrests had been reported as investigations continued into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Meanwhile, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar were heading to the affected region. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu was also expected to visit Izmir.