Explosion in truck carrying fireworks from factory that was rocked by a deadly blast last week kills 3 soldiers

Duvar English

An explosion in a truck carrying fireworks killed three soldiers and wounded 12 others in the northwestern province of Sakarya on July 9.

The truck was transporting fireworks from the Büyük Coşkunlar Factory in the province that was also rocked by a blast on July 3 for their disposal.

Seven people were killed and 128 workers were wounded in the explosion at the fireworks factory in the Hendek district on July 3.

UPDATE - Explosion in truck carrying fireworks from factory that was rocked by a deadly blast last week kills 3 soldiers https://t.co/ByQ96LiEit pic.twitter.com/2V6YShfUfT

— Duvar English (@DuvarEnglish) July 9, 2020

Sakarya Governor Çetin Oktay Kaldırım said that a group of soldiers were transporting the remaining fireworks at the factory for their controlled explosion.

Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu visited the area for examinations.

Death toll increases to seven in fireworks factory blast in Turkey's northwest

Saying that some 15 tons of explosives were disposed of since July 3, Soylu said that local authorities decided to continue disposal efforts at the area that the explosion took place on July 9.

"Our friends decided to continue disposals here since that spot is close to the forest. This saddening incident took place when there were some 1.5 tons of explosives left," Soylu told reporters.

"The cause of the explosion will be determined by the investigation," he also said, adding that one of the killed soldiers was from Istanbul and the other from the capital Ankara.

Soylu also stressed that the factory's work permits will be cancelled.

Experts once again point to negligence

Explosives expert and chemical engineer Süleyman Polat, meanwhile, told Duvar that the explosion was once again caused by negligence.

"If these explosives were disposed of at the factory under necessary precautions, these people wouldn't have died," Polat said, while branding the materials as "unsafe explosives."

Turkish Medical Association points to negligence in fireworks factory blast

"Unsafe explosives should be disposed of at the spot. It's a mistake to transport them in an unsafe package," he added.

Chemical Engineers Chamber head Ali Uğurlu also pointed to negligence, saying that the materials should've been cooled properly following last week's blast.

"Their transfer should've been made under special measures with people with training on the subject. You can't transfer them with trucks, it should've been done with special vehicles," Uğurlu told Duvar, adding that the types of explosives at the factory are still unknown.

"The most dangerous material that we know is there is black powder," he also said.