Turkish factory explosion kills seven
05 February 2013
Seven victims of an explosion and fire at a factory in the southeastern province of Gaziantep were buried in their home towns on January 30. The explosion and fire at the Güneydogu Galvanizing Factory the previous day killed seven people, including two Syrian nationals, and wounded several others, with officials suspecting a gas leak at the facility.
News agencies reported that five of the seven wounded had been released from hospital.The facility employs 200 workers.
Ömer Yalim, head of the Gaziantep Fire Department, said they had not yet established the reason for the explosion with certainty, but noted they suspect it was caused by gas trapped in one of the vats of metal.
According to a statement from Gaziantep Chief Prosecutor Mustafa Peker, a vat of molten zinc used for hot-dipping during the galvanizing process exploded due to gas trapped inside the vat.
The vat that exploded was procured recently and installed only three days before the explosion. The company has been operating in the sector for the past 25 years.
Alternative reports say the blast could have been caused by overpressure in the factory's boilers.