A blast at a steel and iron manufacturing plant in western Turkey on Monday killed 16 people, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting.

An explosion took place at around noon (11am Cyprus time) at the Habas iron and steel manufacturing plant in the Aliaga district of the coastal Izmir province, the governor’s office said in a statement

According to initial findings, the incident occurred when a ceiling crane snapped and fell into an arc furnace during the liquid steel casting process

Footage broadcast by local TV stations showed large plumes of grey dust rising above the plant

Those injured were referred to various hospitals in the region for treatment, and 3 of the 14 injured were in a serious condition, according to the statement

Search and rescue operations were ongoing to reach the 10 people still trapped under the rubble after the blast