At least 16 people were killed and 13 others injured in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye's Izmir province Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, as authorities launched investigations into the deadly incident.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdoğan said judicial and administrative investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the explosion in Izmir's Aliağa district and identify those responsible.

"An investigation has been launched into the explosion, both judicially and administratively. The cause and circumstances of this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our nation, as well as any negligence and those responsible, will be established," the president said.

The explosion occurred around noon during steel casting operations at the HABAŞ iron and steel plant in the Aliağa district, Izmir Governor’s Office said in a statement.

Initial assessments indicate that an overhead crane broke off and fell into an electric arc furnace, triggering the blast, according to the governor’s office.

The explosion sparked a fire at the facility, prompting the deployment of firefighters, medical teams and search and rescue personnel. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities launched an investigation into the incident, while search and rescue operations continued to locate the 10 people reportedly trapped under the rubble.

Witnesses described the blast as extremely powerful, saying the ground shook and thick black smoke rose from the factory.

"It was as if the ground beneath us had shifted. I thought it was an earthquake,” eyewitness Deniz Ülker told Anadolu Agency (AA), describing the moments after the explosion.