2 dead, 73 injured in blast at Turkish fireworks factory

ANKARA, Turkey — An explosion at a fireworks factory in northwestern Turkey on Friday has killed two people and injured at least 73 other people, officials said.

There were an estimated 150 workers at the factory outside the town of Hendek, in Sakarya province, Gov. Cetin Oktay Kaldirim told state-run Anadolu Agency.

Two people were killed in the explosion while 73 others were hospitalized with injuries, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. He said 85 ambulances, two air ambulances, and 11 rescue teams were sent to the area.

Several firefighter teams were also dispatched to the factory, which is away from residential areas. Efforts to bring the fire under control were hampered by continuing explosions, reports said.

The cause of the blast wasn’t immediately known.

Earlier, television video showed a large, mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rising from the factory.
HaberTurk television said authorities blocked roads leading to the factory. Families rushed to the site for news of their loved ones.