A huge explosion has rocked a port in Turkey, some 100 miles from Istanbul, injuring at least a dozen people.

Footage shared online shows the moment of the blast at a grain storage facility in Kocaeli’s Derince district. 

Two workers can be spotted hurrying away as the fire engulfed the building near the seafront.

Thick plumes of black smoke can be seen billowing into the sky from miles away.

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Derince mayor Zeki Aygün told local media that four people have been rushed to hospital after incident that happened just after 2.30pm local time, near the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) silos.

‘We heard an explosion noise and we saw the explosion hit TMO’s silos,’ he was quoted as saying.

Kocaeli Governor Seddar Yavuz later added that the number of those injured has risen to 12 with three seriously.

In a statement to TRT Haber, he said the blast occurred due to ‘dust jamming’ in the TMO silos during the transfer of wheat from the ships.

From Derince port, Kocaeli#Turkey 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/YNQQGMzT2q

Firefighters were quickly dispatched to the scene to try and extinguish the raging fire.

A video shows the trail of destruction after the powerful detonation at the silos as emergency services evacuate people.

Turkey’s Ministry of Transportation confirmed that no ships were damaged due to the explosion.

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