Blast hits grain silos at Turkey’s Derince port, injuring at least 12 people

The Governorate of Kocaeli on Monday (7 August) said at least 12 people were injured when an explosion occurred in the grain silos near the port of Derince in Western Turkey, with three of them in a more serious condition. 

Seddar Yavuz, the Governor of Kocaeli, who visited the port after the incident, said the explosion took place at around 2.45pm and initial evaluations show that it was due to wheat dust compression during the transfer of wheat from a ship to the silo. 

“There is no ongoing fire risk at the moment, but due to the fact that there was an explosion, security measures have been taken in the area. Because there are many silos used as warehouses in the area, we are taking the necessary precautions around the silos, and our technical teams will continue to investigate,” he said in a statement on a Turkish government website. 

Photo credit: Governorate of Kocaeli
Published: 8 August, 2023