Natural gas explosion leaves one dead, 33 injured in central city

ÇORUM

A natural gas explosion in the central province of Çorum killed one person and injured 33 others on Nov. 3.  

The blast occurred around 2.30 p.m., severely damaging the five-story building where it occurred, as well as the surrounding buildings. Debris from the collapse caused damage to a number of automobiles parked near the buildings. 

Medical teams transported the injured to the nearby hospitals as firefighting teams worked diligently to rescue the residents stranded inside the building as a result of the explosion.  

A 65-year-old citizen named Osman Keyinci, however, succumbed to his injuries aftermath the blast.

Çorum Governor Ali Çalgan noted that 11 of the injured residents were still receiving treatment at the hospital, adding that none of them were seriously wounded. 

Damage assessments will conclude swiftly, Çalgan said, noting that residents whose homes were damaged would be housed in guesthouses in the meantime. 

“We have opened a judicial inquiry into the incident and are carrying out the investigation diligently,” the city’s chief public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.