Authorities ruled out the hypothesis of an act of sabotage and the Public Ministry opened an investigation into the incident
At least 12 people died and five were injured this Tuesday (24) in one in one in the northwest region of , informed the governor of the province. “According to preliminary information, 12 people died in the explosion,” said Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu. Authorities announced a toll of five injuries. They also reported that no people were trapped inside the factory and that the fire was controlled.
The factory produces explosive ammunition for civilian use. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the reasons for the explosion had not yet been determined. “We are trying to find out what caused the detonation,” he said. Authorities ruled out the hypothesis of an act of sabotage and the Public Ministry opened an investigation into the incident. The explosion happened at 8:25 am (2:25 am Brasília time) in an area of the factory that produced capsules, said the governor. He reported that the area collapsed due to the force of the explosion.
The factory is one kilometer from the nearest village, north of the city of Balikesir, according to satellite images consulted by AFP. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “deeply saddened by the deaths of 12 brothers” in a message on the social network X. He announced that he had given instructions for the “immediate start of the necessary investigation in all aspects”. Turkey is an exporter of defense equipment, especially drones, and Erdogan is one of the industry’s main enthusiasts.
Published by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from AFP
