32 Killed, 84 Injured as Explosion Rips Through Turkish Cafeteria

TEKIRDAG, Turkey —  At least 32 workers were killed and 84 injured in a gas explosion Saturday in a crowded textile-factory cafeteria, state television reported.

The lunchtime blast in the town of Corlu, about 65 miles west of Istanbul, caused the second-floor cafeteria to collapse into a water tank a floor below, and most of the workers drowned, the Anatolia news agency said.

Investigators had not determined what caused the explosion.

The television report quoted Tekirdag provincial Gov. Senol Engin as saying the blast may have been sparked by methane gas that had built up inside the massive water tank.

The television said the prosecutor’s office had ruled out sabotage.

President Turgut Ozal and Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel sent messages of condolence, and Necati Celik, general secretary of the labor union Hak-Is, said the incident was an example of low work-safety standards in Turkey.

The private factory has more than 1,000 workers.