Several killed in blast at explosives factory in Turkey

The explosion at a facility in the Karesi district of Balikesir province occurred around 8:25am local time on Tuesday, CNN Turk reported.

One of the buildings of the factory complex partially collapsed as result of the blast, Ustaoglu told the broadcaster. The other buildings remained unaffected, he added.

“I would like to stress that there was no sabotage. We assume that there was a technical malfunction, but, of course, it will all become clear after a detailed investigation,” the governor said.

Turkey’s Center for Combating Disinformation issued a statement urging the public to only use official sources for information about the blast, and not to “give credence to unfounded allegations”.

The head of a nearby settlement told CNN Turk that the explosion was so powerful that tremors were felt in the village.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that an investigation was launched, which will be carried out by four public prosecutors under the coordination of a deputy chief prosecutor.

The affected facility specializes in producing munitions for light weapons for domestic and international markets. It has been operating since 2014, according to Turkish media.