Amman, Nov. 9 (Petra) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the death toll from an explosion at a steel plant near the western coastal city of Izmir had risen to 16, while 13 others remained injured.

In a televised statement, Erdogan said the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident, including its underlying causes, would be established.

The initial findings indicate that the explosion occurred at 9 a.m. when a crane fell into a large industrial furnace used in the process of casting molten steel, the DHA news agency reported.

//Petra// AF