Explosion at TÜBİTAK facility claims employee's life

ANKARA

An explosion at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye's (TÜBİTAK) Defense Industry Research and Development Institute in the capital Ankara has resulted in the tragic death of an employee, as announced by the governor's office.

The incident took place on Sept. 25 around 4:40 p.m. local time, within the chemical waste disposal area situated in the fuel, explosive and primer design subunit of the TÜBİTAK facility, located in the Gökçeyurt neighborhood of the capital's Mamak district.

According to preliminary reports from the governor's office, the explosion was believed to have been triggered by a chemical reaction, subsequently leading to a fire. Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the small fire.

In the wake of the incident, the governor's office has initiated both judicial and administrative investigations to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to the event.

Mamak Mayor Murat Köse, in a post on X, confirmed that no other employees were harmed in the explosion.