Turkey steel factory blast kills at least 17 people

At least 17 people have died and 12 others have been injured in an explosion at an iron and steel factory near the port city of Izmir in western Turkey.

All those killed and injured were workers at the Habas Demir Celik plant in Aliaga, one of the country's leading steel producers, authorities said. Footage from the scene showed a large fire inside the facility and a towering column of smoke rising into the air.

The local governor said the blast happened around midday after a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, causing materials to fall into a furnace below.