Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu announced that an explosion occurred at a factory producing explosives in the Karesi district, leaving 12 people dead and 4 injured as per initial reports.
Speaking to CNN TÜRK, the head of a nearby village described the explosion as extremely powerful, with tremors felt in the surrounding area.
Governor Ustaoğlu stated there is no suspicion of sabotage in the incident. Efforts are ongoing to determine the exact number of people who were inside the factory at the time of the explosion. AFAD teams, municipal units, and security forces are continuing to secure the area around the explosion site. The explosion occurred in a vast area spanning 1,000 acres, specifically in the section where capsule production took place. Workers from the morning shift were inside at the time.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Public prosecutors are on-site, and preliminary findings are critical to determining what happened. The force of the explosion was so intense that even nearby trees were tilted by the impact.
Access to the site remains restricted as investigations and rescue efforts continue.
