Turkey: 25 dead, many trapped in coal mine blast, say officials
An explosion inside a coal mine in northern Turkey killed at least 25 people, local officials announced, while rescuers working through the night were trying to bring dozens of others trapped to the surface.
The explosion occurred 6.45 pm on Friday at the state-owned TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine in the town of Amasra in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin.
Energy Miner Fatih Donmez said a preliminary assessment indicated the explosion was likely caused firedamp — a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines.
There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion, Interior Miner Suleyman Soylu, who travelled to Amasra to coordinate the rescue operation, told reporters. Most of the workers were able to evacuate following the blast, but 49 were trapped in a higher-risk area of the facility, the miner said.
Soylu would not provide a number for those still trapped, saying some among the 49 had been lifted to safety.
At least 2 people died and 20 injured in a mine explosion in #Bartın in northern Turkey, health miner said. Dozens are still trapped in the mine. Reason of the blast yet unknown pic.twitter.com/xVWmQNpfbZ
— Selin Girit (@selingirit) October 14, 2022
“We are faced with a picture that we truly regret, that we regret to have to share (with the public),” Soylu said.
The Bartin governor’s office said 25 were killed in the blast. Health Miner Fahrettin Koca reported at least 17 injured, including eight who were being treated in intensive care units.
Several rescue teams were dispatched to the area, including from neighbouring provinces, Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD, said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he was cancelling a planned visit to the southeastern city of Diyarbakir and would travel to Amasra instead to coordinate the rescue operation. He said three prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the incident.
#Canlı: Bakanlar Soylu ve Dönmez Amasra’da patlamanın meydana geldiği maden ocağının önünde açıklama yapıyor https://t.co/gkMtqzC6Sn
— ANADOLU AJANSI (@anadoluajansi) October 14, 2022
“Our hope is that the loss of life does not increase further, that our miners are saved,” Erdogan said in a statement. “All our efforts are geared in that direction.” The private DHA news agency quoted one worker as telling Bartin Gov. Nurtac Arslan that he came out of the mine his own means. He described feeling a “pressure” but said he could not see anything due to the dust and dirt.
People rushed to the mine for news of trapped friends or colleagues, DHA reported.
In Turkey’s worst mine disaster, a total of 301 people died in 2014 in a fire inside a coal mine in the town of Soma, in western Turkey.
