Published: 17:21, December 24, 2024
13 killed in Turkish munitions factory explosion
By Xinhua
This handout image released by the Demiroren News Agency (DHA) shows the moment of an explosion in Balikesir on Dec 24, 2024, ripped through an explosives plant in northwest Türkiye killing 13 people and injuring four others, officials said. (PHOTO / DHA VIA AFP)

ANKARA - An explosion at a munitions factory in the Karesi district of Türkiye's northwestern Balikesir province killed 13 people and injured four others on Tuesday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that emergency response teams acted swiftly to manage the situation and provide medical assistance to the injured, the report said.

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The factory, which began operations in 2014, was reportedly producing munitions for light weapons.

"Everyone was safely evacuated after the explosion, and there is no evidence to suggest sabotage," Balikesir Mayor Ahmet Akin told local broadcaster CNN Turk.

Authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the explosion, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc confirmed on X.