13 May 2014

Ankra, Turkey: Coal Mine Blast Kills Over 200 Miners, Hundreds Still Trapped: UPDATED

Map of Soma in Turkey
UPDATE: At least 201 miners have been killed 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.
Hundreds are still trapped in shafts and tunnels up to 2.5 miles (4km) from the nearest exit.
Mr Yildiz said 80 miners were injured and at least four of them are in a serious condition.
The rescue effort is "reaching a critical stage" with the death toll likely to rise, he said.
The blast in Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of Istanbul, is one of the worst mining disasters in Turkish history.
It is reported the fire is still burning underground, hampering rescue efforts.
Fresh air is being pumped into the pit to help workers who may be struggling to breathe, amid fears they could suffer carbon monoxide poisoning.
TV pictures showed rescued miners coughing and spluttering as they were pulled out alive, their faces coated with black dust.
Relatives waited anxiously at the entrance to the mine, cheering and applauding each successful rescue.
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.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has postponed a one-day visit to Albania and is heading to the scene.
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 country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when a gas explosion killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.
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Hundreds other workers are believed to be dead or trapped underground at the mine in Soma, Manisa province.
Those trapped are about 2km (1.2 miles) below the surface and 4km from the mine's exit.
Search and rescue operations are taking place. It is estimated that 580 workers were underground at the time, but that many escaped.
Quoting health officials, local MP Muzaffer Yurttas told broadcaster NTV that 20 bodies had been retrieved and that at least another 20 workers had been taken to hospital. He said later that four people had been killed.
"They died of choking and burns," he said.
A senior local official, Mehmet Bahattin Atci, said thick smoke at the privately owned mine was hampering rescue efforts.

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I don't want to give any numbers. Wefirst have to reach our workers underground”
Taner YildizTurkish Energy Minister
Energy Ministry Taner Yildiz is going to Soma to oversee the rescue operation, NTV said.
Although Mr Yıldız mentioned "casualties" in his first statement after the accident, he warned that the death tolls reported in the press could be "misleading", Hurriyet newspaper reported.
  1. "Various numbers can be reported. I don't want to give any numbers. We first have to reach our workers underground," he told journalists before leaving for Manisa.
He also said four separate rescue teams were currently working in the mine.
"The fire creates a problem but oxygen is being pumped into the mine shafts that weren't affected," he added.
Analysts say the safety record of Turkey's coal mining industry lags behind that of most industrial nations.
The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when 270 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea.
Are you in the area? Do you have any information to share? Send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Turkey'.

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