In a process for producing liquid raw iron (23) or semi-finished steel products from finely divided iron-containing material (15) in a melt gasification region of a melt gasifier (1), the iron-containing material (15) is melted on passing through the bed (26) with the simultaneous formation of a reducing gas in a bed (26) consisting of solid carbon carriers. In order to be able to operate the process with an addition consisting of up to 100 % fine ore, while reliably preventing the separation of the fine ore added, a high temperature burning and/or gasification region (27) is formed in a deoxidising region (III) above the bed (26) by the burning and/or gasification of carbon-containing material (16', 16'') with the direct supply of oxygen, into which the finely divided iron-containing material (15) is fed directly, whereby at least a surface melting of the iron-containing material (15) and its agglomeration are effected by means of the heat released on the reaction of the carbon-containing material (16', 16'').