At least 25 Turkish soldiers have been killed after a hand grenade was accidentally dropped at an ammunition depot, causing a huge explosion and a fire.
Flames lit up the night sky and the explosion shattered windows in homes in the nearby town of Afyonkarahisar in western Turkey.
The blast took place in the section of the factory where hand grenades were kept.
Forestry and Water Minister Veysel Eroglu said that terrorism and sabotage had been ruled out.
"One hand grenade was dropped during stock-taking and sorting, causing a large explosion," he said. "There was no external intervention. There certainly was no sabotage or anything like that."
Hand grenades were found strewn across the area and authorities were detonating them with controlled explosions, he added.
Turkey's NTV television showed security officers walking along a road and through fields looking for unexploded ammunition.
Some civilians were evacuated from Afyonkarahisar overnight and authorities warned people to stay away from the area.
Families of conscripts serving at the facility rushed to the area after hearing news of the explosions. Many broke into tears after the deaths were reported, NTV said.
Some remains were sent to the capital, Ankara, for DNA tests so they could be identified.
Four other soldiers were injured.
