Sawt Falasteen - 12 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant

Footage showed shards of glass and metal scattered outside the plant, where ambulances stood by.

"According to initial reports, 12 employees died and four were taken to hospital with injuries as a result of the explosion" in the Karesi district of Balikesir province, local governor Ismail Ustaoglu said.

"I wish God's mercy upon our deceased citizens and a speedy recovery to our wounded," he added.

Officials said the injured were not in a serious condition.

There was no staff left inside the factory and the blaze was put out, they added.

The blast took place at 8:25 am (0525 GMT) at a section of the plant which local officials said collapsed under the force of the explosion.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the cause of the blast at the factory, which is located away from residential areas, was not immediately known.

"We are trying to find out what caused it," he said.

Local officials pointed to "technical reasons" without elaborating as experts were still investigation at the scene.

Authorities ruled out sabotage and prosecutors have launched a thorough investigation.

-'Battlefield'-

The plant, located in the north of Balikesir, makes munitions, explosives and flares for the domestic and international markets.

Witnesses told local media that part of the building was "like a battlefield".

The bodies of the dead were due to be carried to the morgue.

Security forces took measures in case of a second blast. Civilians and members of the press were not allowed nearby.

Turkey has become a major defence exporter, particularly for drones, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a major supporter of the industry.

In 2020, an explosion at a fireworks factory in northwestern Turkey killed seven people and injured 127 others.

In 2023, a blast at a military explosives factory killed five people. That factory -- some 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the capital Ankara, was part of Turkey's defence ministry.

I.Yassin--SF-PST