TIRANA, Jan. 16 – A Turkish-owned steel plant in Albania was ordered to halt operations after an explosion at a scrap metal factory killed a worker and left six others critically injured, labor authorities said Wednesday.
The blast at a furnace of the Turkish-based Kurum Steel Co. in the town of Elbasan, 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of the capital, Tirana, occurred late Monday due to technical defects at its furnace, according to the Labor Inspectorate authorities.
“The plant will stay closed until the security situation is in place,“ said Thoma Mico of the Labor Inspectorate.
At the beginning it was believed the blast came when an unexploded shell, among other pieces of scrap metal, was thrown into a furnace at the plant.
But initial investigation has shown the explosion may have been caused by technical defects in the furnace system.
Three technicians, two Turkish and an Albanian, have been arrested on charges of negligence.
Kurum produces up to 400,000 tons of steel annually with a 1,000-strong work force, (who are to be paid while work is suspended) making it a major employer in one of Europe’s poorest countries.
