Turkey Mine Blast: 205 Dead And Toll May Rise

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 14 Mei 2014 | 16.16

At least 205 miners have been killed and hundreds are still missing after an underground explosion and fire in western Turkey.

The country's energy minister Taner Yildiz said 787 workers were in the mine at the time of the blast, which is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault.

He said 363 miners have been rescued, at least 80 of whom were injured.

Hundreds are still trapped in shafts and tunnels and are thought to be 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

Workers wait outside a mine in Soma, Turkey, following an underground explosion Many of the miners were coughing and covered in dust as they were rescued

The blast in Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of Istanbul, is rapidly becoming the deadliest mining disaster in Turkish history.

Mr Yildiz said rescue efforts are now "reaching a critical stage," with hopes fading for those still trapped.

He said a fire is still burning inside the mine, hindering rescue efforts.

TURKEY-MINE-BLAST Dozens of miners have been rescued or made their own way out

High levels of carbon monoxide have reportedly forced rescue teams to halt the operation on a number of occasions.

The poisonous gas is thought to have been responsible for the majority of fatalities. 

Fresh air is being pumped into the pit to help any survivors who may be struggling to breathe.

TV pictures showed rescued miners coughing and spluttering as they were pulled out alive, their faces coated with black dust.

TURKEY-MINING-ACCIDENT Worried relatives rush to the mine complex in the town of Soma

Relatives waited anxiously at the entrance to the mine, cheering and applauding each successful rescue.

But according to journalist Dorian Jones, fear has already turned to anger among the relatives of many of those lost.

He told Sky News previous accidents have been reported at the mine and the safety record of operator Soma Komur has been called into question.

Mr Jones said one miner had told him he felt like a "lamb to the slaughter" every time he went to work.

The incident took place in the town of Soma, in the province of Manisa The explosion happened in Turkey's western Manisa province

Miner Oktay Berrin told news agency AFP workers were not protected underground.

In a statement, the mine's owners, Soma Komur, described the explosion as a "tragic accident" which happened "despite maximum safety measures and inspections".

According to Turkey's ministry of labour, the pit was last inspected on March 17 and was found to be compliant with safety regulations.

The accident happened when a power distribution unit exploded about 1.2 miles (2km) beneath the surface, according to Nurettin Akcul, head of the Turkish Mineworkers' Union.

It is thought it happened during a change of shifts, leading to confusion over the exact number of workers still inside.

The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when a gas explosion killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has postponed a one-day visit to Albania and is heading to the scene.


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