Six held over deadly Turkiye steel blast that killed 17

ALIAGA, Turkiye: Six people were arrested overnight after a huge blast at a steel plant near the western city of Izmir killed 17 workers, with grieving families waiting Tuesday to receive their loved ones’ bodies for burial.

Onlookers said Monday’s massive explosion felt like “an earthquake” when it ripped through the HABAS steel factory in Aliaga, a district 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Izmir known for shipbreaking and heavy industry.

Police have so far detained six people in connection with the incident, with Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar warning “the number could rise.”

The deadly blast at one of Turkiye’s top steel producers also left around a dozen people injured, at least one in critical condition.