explosion

President Erdogan announces an investigation after a crane collapsed into a furnace, triggering the blast near Izmir.

An explosion at a steel plant in western Turkiye has killed at least 16 people and injured 13 others.

The blast happened at 11:46am local time (08:46 GMT) on Monday at the HABAS factory in Aliaga, about 60km (37 miles) north of Izmir, which sits on the Aegean Sea in western Turkiye.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced an investigation and reported that two of the wounded were in serious condition.

Izmir’s governor said the explosion was caused by an overhead crane falling into a large industrial furnace while the boiler was being replaced.

Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said that the full number of dead and injured would only become clear once the rubble had been cleared.

Deniz Ulker, an eyewitness, said the explosion felt like an “earthquake”.

“When I looked at the factory across the street, thick black smoke was coming out. A fire broke out where the chimney was,” he said.

Workers’ groups say there is a long record of safety issues at the factory.

The Izmir chapter of Turkiye’s Labour Party, a small Marxist group, said it was “the third fatal incident” at the factory in three weeks.

Writing on X, it warned that seven employees had died in accidents at the plant in the past 10 years and said that maintenance requirements and safety standards were not being met.

The European Union and Azerbaijan were among those to send condolences.

John Anderson, a country western star known for his traditional tunes and twangy voice, has died.

A representative for Anderson confirmed to The Times that the storied singer-songwriter died in his sleep at his home in Smithville, Tenn., on Wednesday. He was 71.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and best friend,” a statement from Anderson’s family read. “To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives. To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary moment feel special. We are completely heartbroken. His music will live on, but for us, his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave his family and the memories we will carry with us forever. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we grieve this unimaginable loss.”

Born in Apopka, Fla., on Dec. 13, 1954, Anderson got his first guitar when he was 7 years old and played in garage bands as a teen. When he finished high school, Anderson packed his bags for Music City. He gigged at Nashville nightclubs until he landed his first record contract with the support of music publisher Al Gallico; he signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1976.

Over his storied career, Anderson earned 20 top 10 country hits, including five No. 1s. Through the 1980s and ’90s, Anderson was a leader in the explosion of neotraditional country tunes, and honky-tonks were filled with couples two-stepping to hits including “Swingin’,” “Seminole Wind,” “Straight Tequila Night,” “Wild and Blue” and “Black Sheep.”

In 1993, Anderson received the Academy of Country Music career achievement award. Introducing the award, Reba McEntire said Anderson was an early new traditionalist who “combined a sweet and pure country sound with great energy and emotion.” Billy Dean gave remarks, too, saying, “Back in the early ’80s, John’s sound and material struck the exact right chord with country record buyers and inspired a whole bunch of up-and-coming artists just like myself.”

In 2014, Anderson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2024, Anderson he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Toby Keith and James Burton.

“This is an institution that preserves greatness,” Anderson said of the honor. “That I get the chance to be amongst this kind of greatness, words can’t explain.”

This is a developing story.