Explosion at factory injures four workers in Ankara

ANKARA

An explosion rocked the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation's (MKE) capsule factory in Ankara's Mamak district, leaving four workers injured on July 18.

The cause of the explosion, which took place in the ammunition depot of the factory, is yet to be determined. Emergency services swiftly responded to the incident, with the injured workers being transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The explosion's impact was felt across a wide area, accompanied by billowing smoke that engulfed the sky due to an ensuing fire. Workers were promptly evacuated, and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) along with firefighters and medical teams were dispatched to the scene.

However, their response was hindered by ongoing minor explosions within the capsule section, posing a challenge to AFAD's chemical biological radiation and nuclear team.

Mamak Mayor Murat Köse assured that all factory workers were safely evacuated following the blast. "Measures have been taken at the maximum level," the mayor said.

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş also addressed the incident on his social media account. "We continue our extinguishing efforts with MKE teams to control the fire, which has spread to the forest area. I wish a speedy recovery to our citizens who were injured in the fire," Yavaş wrote.

This incident follows a tragic explosion that occurred at the MKE's rocket and explosives factory in the capital's Elmadağ district, which claimed the lives of five workers.