Five workers have been killed by a huge blast at a rocket and explosives factory in Turkey, officials say.
It happened early on Saturday morning at the state-owned MKE Rocket and Explosives Factory, 40km (25 miles) east of the capital, Ankara.
Several others were injured by the blast, which state TV said shattered windows in nearby homes and shops.
Officials said the explosion was caused by an incident in the factory’s dynamite department.
Regional Governor, Vahap Sahin, said that no other workers or staff remained trapped in the rubble, and state media reported that wounded employees had been transferred to local hospitals. Several are said to be in critical conditions.
Mr Sahin told reporters that the explosion was the “result of a chemical experiment, according to technical staff”, and that it happened at 08:45 local time (05:45 GMT).
In a statement, Deputy Defence Minister, Alpaslan Kavaklioglu, said officials had reviewed footage from inside the building in the moments before the blast and that there was “nothing out of the ordinary until the moment of the explosion”.
“Our workers were carrying out their normal activities, and the explosion happened suddenly,” he added.
Images showed ambulances at the factory, and firefighters are reportedly fighting a series of small blazes. Meanwhile, a number of family members gathered awaiting news on their loved ones.
The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that a “judicial and administrative investigation has been initiated regarding the incident”, while regional prosecutors said they were looking into what happened.
Turkey’s recently re-elected President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was briefed on the incident by Defence Minister, Yasar Guler, and sent his condolences to the families of the victims, a statement from his communications office said.
From humble beginnings, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown into a political giant, leading Turkey for 20 years and reshaping his country more than any leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered father of the modern republic.
Despite being buffeted by a series of crises, he still came out on top in the 2023 presidential race to maintain his grip on power. —BBC
