4 Arrested Over Explosion in Tüpraş İzmir Refinery Killing 4 Workers

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Four of the seven people who had been who had been taken into custody as a part of the investigation launched into the explosion on October 11 in Türpraş (Türkey Oil Refineries Corporation) Refinery in Turkey's western province of İzmir, in which 4 workers lost their lives, were arrested on Saturday (October 14).

According to the report of the state-run Anadolu Agency, as a part of the investigation launched by Aliağa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the safety expert of the enterprise Esfet Bilici, the owner of the subcontractor firm Beka Project Bedrettin Karataş, the site manager Muhammed Hulusi Gözüak and the montage headworker Ali Battal have been arrested.

Chief engineer Mehmet Emin T, engineer of the enterprise Burak K, and chief engineer of the enterprise Kürşat K. have been released on probation.

The explosion had occurred in the morning hours on October 11in Türpraş Refinery in Turkey's western province of İzmir. Four workers had lost their lives and two others had been injured in the explosion.

Aliaga Sub-Governor Bayram Yılmaz making a statement on the incident said that the explosion occurred during the last controls of a naphtha tank that had not been in use for a long time.

In the earthquake on August 17, 1999, a massive fire broke out in Tüpraş İzmit Rafinery and it took three days to put out the fire.
In July 2015, fire broke out in the Tüpraş refinery in Aliağa district of İzmir and in February 2016 in the refinery in Kocaeli province. There were no casualties. (EA/DG)