Video: Explosion injures 12 near grain silos at Turkish port

At least 12 people were injured on Monday when an explosion rocked grain silos near the port of Derince in western Turkey, prompting an investigation into its cause, Kocaeli Governor Seddar Yavuz said.

The governor attributed the cause of the explosion — which occurred around 2.40pm local time — to "dust compression during the transfer of wheat from ships in Turkish Grain Board (TMO) silos."

According to the TMO General Manager Ahmet Guldal, damages have occurred in 13 silo wells and outbuildings.

"We were told that it is technically possible that a blast could occur due to compression of wheat dust, but we are investigating every possible reason," he said.

Three of the injured are in serious condition in hospital, and everyone has been accounted for, he added.

According to Turkey's official disaster and emergency management authority AFAD, one person has been rescued from under the rubble and there is "no loss of life as of now".

A video of the explosion, shared by local media outlet TRT, showed thick plumes of smoke emanating from the site.

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"We heard an explosion noise and we saw the explosion hit TMO's silos. [The] injured people were sent to hospital," Derince Mayor Zeki Akgun was quoted as saying in the report.

The Ministry of Transportation said no ships were damaged due to the explosion.

The blast comes three days after Lebanon marked the third anniversary of a 2020 grain silo explosion at a Beirut port that killed over 200 people, wounded more than 6,000, devastated large swaths of Beirut and caused billions of dollars in damages.

It also comes six months after a deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed over 50,000 people in the country's largest disaster since 1939.

(With inputs from agencies)

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