Natural Gas Explosion in Çorlu: 2 Dead, 2 Injured and Building Evacuation

A natural gas explosion occurred in the Çorlu district of Tekirdağ late at night, deeply shaking the residents of the region. A violent explosion took place around 23.00 in the apartment where a family of Syrian citizenship resided on the top floor of the 6-story Adalet Apartmanı located in Cemaliye Mahallesi Borsa Meydanı. While a fire broke out in the apartment due to the explosion, serious damage occurred to the exterior facade of the building and neighboring apartments on the same floor. Shocked by the incident, building residents and surrounding citizens poured into the streets in panic, evacuating their homes. The force of the explosion was so great that the building's front wall partially collapsed and windows were blown outwards.

Upon notification, police, health, fire and AFAD teams were dispatched to the scene for emergency intervention. As a result of the rapid work of the fire crews, the fire in the apartment was brought under control and extinguished, however initial investigations sadly revealed loss of life. 33-year-old Muhammet el Hüseyin, who was alone in the apartment at the time of the explosion, was thrown about 60 meters by the force of the blast, falling into the garden of the building and lost his life. Additionally, 3 people were injured, including Caner Meriç, his wife Songül Meriç in the neighboring apartment and pedestrian Mehmet Zurnacı, due to the severity of the explosion. The injured were taken to Çorlu Devlet Hastanesi by ambulances and treated in the emergency room.

Caner Meriç, who was in serious condition among the injured taken to the hospital, could not be saved despite the intense efforts of doctors and lost his life, raising the death toll in the incident to 2. It was learned that the health status of the other injured, Songül Meriç and Mehmet Zurnacı, was mild and their lives were not in danger. After the incident became clear, Çorlu Kaymakamı Niyazi Erten made statements to the press. Erten stated that they suspected the explosion was likely caused by natural gas and that a total of 89 citizens resided in the building, noting that the building was temporarily evacuated for security and necessary works had been initiated to meet the sheltering needs of the evacuated citizens.

With the first lights of the morning, the extent of the damage caused by the explosion began to be seen more clearly. After the terrifying moments experienced at night in Adalet Apartmanı, building residents who had to leave their homes returned in the morning hours to see their houses and confirm their status after spending the night in hotels or relatives' homes. The Syrian family living in the apartment where the explosion occurred also came to the front of the building, left alone with the shock of the incident. While technical teams from the Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği İl Müdürlüğü conducted determinations and inspections of the building's structural damage, Çorlu Belediyesi teams continued cleaning and support work in the region. Police teams are not allowing entry and exit to the building by drawing a security cordon against possible danger or a second explosion risk.

Nuri Küçükler, a resident of the region, described the magnitude of the explosion and the fear experienced, stating that the incident was of indescribable magnitude and people were in great shock. Citizens stated that they took to the streets to check on their relatives and neighbors as soon as they heard the sound of the explosion and worried about the safety of their loved ones. On the other hand, a security camera of a workplace at the scene recorded the images of the moment of the explosion. While the force of the explosion and the start of the fire are clearly seen in these images, officials announced that detailed investigation and inquiry regarding the incident continues and the exact cause of the explosion will be determined after technical reports.