On Tuesday, an explosion at an explosives and ammunition factory in the village of Kavakli, located in the Karesi district of Balikesir province in northwest Turkey, resulted in the deaths of eleven people, according to the country’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. He also mentioned that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
Local officials have ruled out sabotage as the cause, as reported by CNN Turk, an affiliate of CNN.
The blast also left seven people injured and caused a building to collapse.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his sorrow on X, stating that he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
“I pray to God to have mercy on my deceased brothers, offer my condolences to their families, and wish a swift recovery to the injured,” Erdogan said. “My condolences to Balikesir and our nation.”
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced on X that a team of specialists, including experts in chemical, mechanical, occupational safety, and geophysical engineering, had been assigned to investigate the cause of the explosion.
The Interior Ministry initially reported that twelve people had died but later corrected the death toll to eleven, acknowledging that the first report had been an error.
