Forty people are feared dead following an explosion in a coal mine in northern Turkey, the country’s interior minister Suleyman Soylu says. According to Suleyman, 58 people had been rescued from the mine and over a dozen remained trapped. Around 110 people were in the mine at the time of the blast on Friday. More than 55 people were over 300 metres deep.
Turkey explosion scene
However, the cause of the blast is yet to be known and it is under investigation. Turkey’s energy minister suspects that the blast was caused by firedamp, which is methane forming an explosive mixture in coal mines.
“We are facing a truly regretful situation”, he said.
There were partial collapses inside the mine, he said, adding that there were no ongoing fires, and that ventilation was working properly.
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Those rescuing them worked through the night, digging through rock to try to reach more survivors. Friends and families of those that were trapped went to the scene to check on their loved ones.
“Fifty-eight of our miners were able to come out unharmed. We estimate that 15 of our miners are [trapped] below and we are trying to rescue them,” Mr Soylu told reporters at the scene. According to the BBC news, the explosion is believed to have occurred at around 300m deep. Some 49 people had been working in the “risky” zone between 300 and 350m (985 to 1,150ft) underground, Mr Soylu said.
