Today, 30 people were injured in an explosion at a pasta factory in Hendek district of Sakarya – Türkiye, while the lifeless body of one person was reached. The explosion occurred for an undetermined reason in the factory operating at the Hendek toll plaza on the Anatolian Motorway. The fire that broke out after the explosion increased the size of the incident and many emergency teams were dispatched to the region.
Explosion and aftermath
The explosion occurred in a section next to the silos of the factory. After the explosion, a fire broke out and rapidly grew and spread to many parts of the factory. Immediately after the incident, fire brigades, ambulances, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Unit), Forestry Regional Directorate and police teams from Sakarya, Hendek, Akyazı, Düzce and Kocaeli were dispatched to the scene. Those injured during the explosion and fire intervention were taken to various hospitals.
Sakarya Governor Yaşar Karadeniz said, ‘A total of 59 shift personnel were working in the factory and some of them were in the explosion zone. According to the first determinations, the explosion is thought to be in the mill section. However, after the fire is completely extinguished, the cause and shape of the explosion will be determined with the investigations to be carried out in line with the instructions of the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.’
Condition of the injured
Deputy Minister of Health Halim Özçevik stated that the number of people injured in the explosion reached 30 and said, “5 of our injured were discharged. 3 of the injured are our fire brigade personnel. One of those discharged is also a fire brigade personnel. Two of our wounded are intubated. One of our wounded was transferred to Istanbul due to better treatment conditions and hospital density. Our patient transferred to Istanbul is in critical condition. Another injured person is being followed up as intubated in Kocaeli City Hospital.”
Özçevik stated that most of the wounded were burn cases and said, “Due to the burn cases in the respiratory system, our other 3 wounded are being followed up in the intensive care unit of Kocaeli City Hospital without intubation.” Özçevik stated that one of the injured was a 12-year-old boy and that he was at the factory with his father and said, “His general condition is good. Our patient, who was transferred to Istanbul, will most likely be operated on because his condition is critical,” he added.
One Life Lost: Funeral identification work continues
The lifeless body of one person was found in the factory after the explosion. The body was taken to the Hendek State Hospital morgue and the identification of the body is ongoing. Authorities stated that the search and rescue operations initiated at the scene after the explosion are continuing and all injured people are receiving the necessary medical interventions as soon as possible.
The cause of the incident is being investigated
Initial investigations after the incident indicate that the explosion occurred in the milling section of the factory. However, after the fire is completely under control, the exact cause of the explosion will be revealed as a result of the investigations to be carried out by the fire brigade teams and other relevant units.
Sakarya Governor Yaşar Karadeniz said, “According to the first determinations, there is a belief that the explosion occurred in the milling section, but after the fire is completely extinguished, the cause and shape of the fire will be determined by the investigations to be carried out by our fire brigade and our police in line with the orders and instructions of our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Get well soon to all of us,” he said.
Wide Security Measures at the Incident Scene
After the explosion, the teams arriving in the area took extensive security measures. Detailed investigations on the starting point of the fire and the cause of the explosion are ongoing. While the entrances and exits to and from the area were controlled, intensive security measures were taken around the factory.