People gather near a munitions factory where an explosion happened in the Karesi district of Balikesir province, Türkiye, Dec. 24, 2024. An explosion at a munitions factory in the Karesi district of Türkiye's northwestern Balikesir province killed 13 people and injured four others on Tuesday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
ANKARA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- An explosion at a munitions factory in the Karesi district of Türkiye's northwestern Balikesir province killed 13 people and injured four others on Tuesday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that emergency response teams acted swiftly to manage the situation and provide medical assistance to the injured, the report said.
The factory, which began operations in 2014, was reportedly producing munitions for light weapons.
"Everyone was safely evacuated after the explosion, and there is no evidence to suggest sabotage," Balikesir Mayor Ahmet Akin told local broadcaster CNN Turk.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the explosion, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc confirmed on X. ■
People gather near a munitions factory where an explosion happened in the Karesi district of Balikesir province, Türkiye, Dec. 24, 2024. An explosion at a munitions factory in the Karesi district of Türkiye's northwestern Balikesir province killed 13 people and injured four others on Tuesday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
