Explosion in Turkey: 22 dead and dozens wounded | Abroad
At least 22 miners were killed after a mine exploded in northern Turkey on Friday. At least 17 others were injured and about 50 workers are still trapped hundreds of meters underground.
According to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to the crash site, 110 people were working in the mine on Friday. “We are facing a sad picture,” Soylu told reporters on the ground.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to the crash site on Saturday. He wrote on Twitter that he hoped to save the miners unharmed.
The Turkish Disaster Management Authority believes that the explosion was caused by a transformer. Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, who is also in the mining area near the Black Sea, said initial reports indicated that the explosion was the result of combustible gases present in the coal mine.
Pictures from Turkish television showed people being taken to ambulances as emergency services entered the mine.
Accidents in mines are more common in Turkey, according to observers, due to poor safety regulations. In 2014, a large coal mine explosion in the Aegean province of Manisa killed a total of 301 people.
Accidents in mines are more common in Turkey, according to observers, due to poor safety regulations. In 2014, a large coal mine explosion in the Aegean province of Manisa killed a total of 301 people.
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