At least 25 people died in an explosion in a mine in Turkey. Such incidents happen again and again.
At least 25 people have died in an explosion at a coal mine in Turkey. This was announced by the governor’s office of the province of Bartin in the north of the country. Dozens more miners are still missing after the incident on Friday (October 14).
The mine gas is said to have exploded around 300 meters below the surface of the earth, as reported by local media. According to the governor’s office, 36 of the 110 people who were in the mine at the time were brought to safety. Meanwhile, the number of dead rose from 22 to 25, as it was said early Saturday. At the time of an earlier report by the Ministry of Health, there were also reports of 17 injuries, eight of whom are in critical condition. Now it is said that six injured people were sent to Istanbul for treatment.
Explosion in mine: Erdogan wants to “coordinate” rescue measures in Turkey
Around 150 people are involved in the search and rescue operations at the mine, which is located about 300 kilometers northeast of the Turkish capital Ankara on the Black Sea. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that he would visit the site of the blast himself on Saturday to “coordinate” rescue efforts. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
Turkey’s main opposition party, the social-democratic CHP, said the authorities had ignored a 2019 report by the Court of Auditors warning of a risk of a mine gas explosion at the mine. Serious accidents have occurred in Turkish mines before, partly because of a lack of safety regulations. In 2014, for example, an explosion in a coal mine killed 301 people. Fourteen people were trapped after a mine explosion in Colombia. (vbu with dpa)
