The Turkish port of Derince has been rocked my a huge explosion, with local authorities confirming at least four people have been injured and photos on social media showing a massive plume of smoke over the water
Footage has shown the terrifying moment of an "earthquake-like" explosion at a port, some 55 miles east of Istanbul, causing five people to be injured.
The cause of the explosion at the port in Kocaeli's Derince district is still unknown as residents reported their home shaking and footage shows thick plumes of black smoke billowing for miles. Five people have been injured, according to the local fire service. Local Mayor Zeki Aygün said in a statement: "My office is about 1 km away and I felt an earthquake. We have five injured people right now. Friends are working. We know that there was an explosion. The bottom of the two silos I saw was opened."
The explosion in the silos belonging to the Turkish Grain Board happened around 14:35 local time, with one local news site reporting it sounded like a "violent earthquake." Firefighters, police and medical teams were quickly dispatched to the area to desperately try and extinguish the blaze. While one Twitter user wrote: "There was a terrible explosion, the glass door wall shook so much! Disaster news does not end, I guess it was Derince Port; I hope nothing happened to anyone."
Footage from the aftermath of the explosion shows a post-apocalyptic scene of debris and dust engulfing the surrounding area, casting a pall over firefighters and civilians in covid-style masks. Kocaeli Fire Brigade Chief İslamoğlu said: "About 3 silos exploded. We have citizens who have been injured in various parts. We removed all 5 of our wounded from here. Nothing serious so far. Hopefully, we guess that there is no one around."
أولى لحظات وقوع الانفجار في #ميناء_درينجة في كوجالي شرقي #إسطنبول#تركيا #ميناء #موانئ #ربان_السفينة pic.twitter.com/4kHQlDIAtp
— Robban Assafina (@robbanassafina) August 7, 2023
Source: Mirror
