Worker injured in Türkiye's Derince port blast dies in hospital
Front view of Turkish Grain Board warehouse a day after the explosion, Kocaeli, northwestern Türkiye, Aug. 8, 2023. (IHA Photo)


A worker succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on Wednesday, two days after being wounded in a Turkish port explosion, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

The 20-year-old Ekrem Kalkan died at an Istanbul hospital, the report said.

Five others are still under treatment, two of them in critical condition, AA said.

A total of 12 people were injured on Monday in the explosion at the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) depot in Türkiye’s Derince port, some 75 kilometers (46.1 miles) south-east of Istanbul.

Initial reports said the blast occurred due to wheat dust compression while being unloaded from ships.

Turkish authorities said they did not expect the accident at the government-controlled port to curb the local grain supply.

However, the blast that ripped through grain silos near the port damaged some 15,000 tons of grain, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement on Tuesday.