Over 1,800 workers lost their lives in Türkiye in 2024, says report

At least 1,897 workers lost their lives in Türkiye in 2024, according to a report published by Türkiye‘s Health and Safety Labour Watch Council (ISIG) on Jan. 13, 2025.

In 2024, 25% of the workers who died—482 in total—were employed in the construction and roadwork sectors, the report said.

Report sources and methodology

The sources of the report compiled by ISIG indicate that 70% of the information was based on national media, while 30% came from information provided by workers’ colleagues, families, occupational safety experts, workplace doctors, unions and local press.

In 2024, the death of at least 1,897 workers means that, on average, at least five workers lost their lives every day in work-related accidents.

Immigrant and refugee workers in Türkiye in 2024

The report also states that 94 of the 1,897 deceased workers were foreign nationals. The countries of origin of these workers are as follows:

• 49 workers were Syrian; 13 were Afghan; five each were Iranian, Russian, and Turkmen; three each were Iraqi and Uzbek; two were Ukrainian; and one each was from Andorra, Algeria, China, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Pakistan, Poland and Sudan.

As wars, regional military interventions, and colonial policies reshape geographies, they accelerate population mobility on a global scale. In this period, due to Türkiye’s geopolitical position, the number of immigrants/refugees entering the workforce has rapidly increased. The report highlights that this situation has also led to an increase in work accidents involving immigrants/refugees.

When examining the countries of origin of immigrant/refugee workers who died in work accidents, it is notable that 66% were Syrian and Afghan. This is explained in the report: “Workers who became refugees due to wars not only lost their homes but were also transformed into laborers.”

Key worker deaths of 2024

Some of the most significant worker deaths that made the headlines in Türkiye in 2024 are as follows:

• On Jan. 30, in Dikili, Izmir, five fishermen lost their lives when the “Oguz Irgit” fishing boat capsized due to strong winds.
• On Feb. 13, in Erzincan Ilic, nine mining workers died after 10 million tons of cyanide-contaminated soil slipped 800 meters at the Copler Gold Mine owned by Anagold Mining.
• On Feb. 15, six ship workers died when the cargo ship Batuhan A, loaded with marble dust, sank in the Marmara Sea, off the coast of Imrali Island due to a storm.
• On April 2, in Gayrettepe, Besiktas, Istanbul, 29 workers (20 construction workers and nine nightclub workers) died from poisoning in a fire during renovations at Masquerade Club.
• On Sept. 15, in Hendek, Sakarya, five workers died in a dust explosion at Oba Pasta Factory’s flour and semolina mill.
• On Dec. 24, in Karesi, Balikesir, 11 metal workers died in an explosion at the capsule production section of ZSR Explosive Industry Inc.

Fatalities in specific employment types

In 2024, 1,636 salaried workers (employees and civil servants) and 261 self-employed workers (farmers and tradespeople) died in work accidents. This means that 86% of those who died were salaried workers, while 14% were self-employed.

Construction, agriculture and transportation: High-risk sectors

The report points out that the majority of deceased farmers were over 50 years old. Additionally, more than 90% of young worker deaths were salaried workers.

Three industries account for the highest concentration of work accidents (a total of 54%, with 1,042 worker deaths): construction, agriculture, and transportation, where “precarious work” dominates.

These industries are characterized by long working hours, intense labor, lack of insurance, and the absence of regulations. Construction comes first on this list. The Feb. 6 earthquakes that devastated parts of Türkiye, including Adiyaman, affected 11 cities in total.

The state accelerated new construction projects to address the housing problems of earthquake victims. In this process, more than 130,000 homes and workplaces were completed, with 160,000 workers employed across nearly 1,900 construction sites in 11 cities.

In the severely affected region of Adiyaman Indere, nearly 9,000 workers are working around the clock to complete 16,467 homes and workplaces. According to the records in the report, at least 106 construction workers—22% of the total work accidents in the sector—lost their lives in the earthquake zone, and a total of 482 workers died in the construction and roadwork sectors.

Motorcycle couriers: A growing cause of work accidents

With the pandemic, the profession of motorcycle couriers, predominantly young workers in their 20s, became widespread, and they are employed in precarious conditions. The pressure to meet delivery deadlines is a major cause of accidents. This year, at least 64 motorcycle couriers died in accidents.

A similar situation is seen in various other sectors like hospitality, health, trade/office/education, municipal/general work, media, banking, communication, and transportation. Although the service sector is the third highest in terms of deaths, a decrease in service sector fatalities compared to 2023 and an increase in fatalities in the construction sector were observed.

Causes of work accidents in Türkiye

The leading cause of work-related fatalities is traffic and service accidents. According to the report, these fatalities are categorized as traffic accidents, as drivers of trucks, buses, service minibusses (shuttles), taxis, and motorcycle couriers are working long hours and almost non-stop. Furthermore, the vehicles used are often poorly maintained, old, and poorly lit roads are common, and there is pressure to meet work targets.

In construction, falls from scaffolding, roofs, and elevator shafts account for more than half of the fatalities, with other leading causes being crushing or collapsing accidents and electrocution.

For seasonal agricultural workers, poor transportation methods, such as using old tractors, and inadequate living, resting, and sanitation conditions contribute to fatalities.

In industrial sectors, there is a noticeable increase in deaths due to crushing, explosions, burns, electrocution, poisoning, etc. Industrial accidents in cities like Istanbul, Kocaeli, Izmir, Manisa, Bursa, Ankara, Tekirdag, Sakarya, Gaziantep, Samsun, Konya, Adana, and Denizli are highlighted in the report as a major cause of fatalities.

Gender distribution of work fatalities in 2024

A total of 106 female workers and 1,791 male workers lost their lives in work accidents in 2024. Female workers who died were employed in sectors such as agriculture, food, mining, forestry, media, education, trade, metal, construction, shipping, health, hospitality, security and municipal work.

According to Türkiye’s Social Security Institution (SGK) statistics, female worker fatalities make up 2% of total fatalities, but the ISIG report claims that the actual number is three to four times higher. This discrepancy is attributed to the fact that many women working in agriculture are employed without insurance, which leads to unregistered deaths.

In 2024, 36 workers (1.89%) were unionized, and 1,861 (98.11%) were non-unionized. Unionized workers who died worked in sectors such as mining, metal, health, chemistry, municipal services, trade, energy, transportation, agriculture, food, textile, glass, construction, and security.

Türkiye and global impact of worker fatalities

Work accidents occurred not only in Türkiye but also in 20 countries abroad, where workers were either short-term workers or employed by Turkish-origin companies. The highest number of fatalities occurred in the region centered around Istanbul, with a focus on the Corlu-Gebze line.

This is attributed to factors such as high population density, the centrality of industry and service sectors, urban transformation, and insecure working conditions.