Lawsuit Filed Against 6 Defendants for TMO Silo Explosion in Kocaeli
The Kocaeli Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has prepared an indictment against several individuals in connection to a tragic explosion at the TMO Derince port silo. The indictment lists the silo chief manager KD, assistant manager K.Ö, deputy chief BB, engineer AS, subcontractor company owner OT, and subcontractor company field officer İ.Ç. as defendants. The complainant was also listed as a defendant in the case.
The indictment, which has been accepted by the Kocaeli 3rd High Criminal Court, requests a prison sentence of two to 15 years for the defendants for “recklessly causing the death or injury of more than one person.”
According to an expert report included in the indictment, the explosion occurred while welding was being done on the 6th floor of the silo. The report states that a “primary explosion” occurred due to the ignition of the dusty environment, and the subsequent chain of events led to severe damage in the silo.
The expert report points to a lack of proper maintenance and precautions as contributing factors to the explosion. It highlights the presence of grain dust as a ignition source, due to failures in dust cleaning and maintenance protocols.
In their defense, the defendants have disputed the claims made in the expert report. Silo chief manager KD stated that regular maintenance was carried out annually, including routine dust cleaning. Deputy manager K.Ö. claimed that they had increased maintenance efforts on the dust collection system in recent years.
The explosion at the TMO Kocaeli Headquarters port silo in Derince district resulted in the tragic loss of two lives, injuries to seven individuals, and significant damage to 13 out of the 60 silos present.
The legal proceedings in this case will shed light on the events leading to the explosion and determine the extent of responsibility of the individuals involved.
