Explosion in Turkey coal mine kills at least 22 people

An explosion in a coal mine in northern Turkey on Friday killed at least 22 people, health minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Twitter. He did not say how many people were taken out of the mine with injuries, but said eight were in a serious condition.

The explosion occurred at the state-owned TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin.

The cause of the explosion was unknown, Turkey's Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) said, retracting an earlier statement the explosion was caused by a transformer.

Media reports said that the explosion could have been caused by firedamp, a name for flammable gas in coal mines. The explosion occurred 300 metres below the entrance of the mine at about 3.15pm GMT, the Bartin governor’s office said.

There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion, interior minister Suleyman Soylu said. Most of the workers were able to evacuate following the blast but 49 were trapped in a higher risk area of the facility. Mr Soylu would not provide a number for those still trapped, saying some had been lifted to safety.

Several rescue teams were dispatched to the area, including from neighbouring provinces.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he was cancelling a planned visit to the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir and would travel to Amasra instead to coordinate the rescue operation.

The private DHA news agency quoted one worker, who escaped from the mine, as saying he felt a “pressure” but he could not see anything due to the dust and dirt.

Separately, state-owned Anadolu Agency quoted Bartin Governor Nurtac Arslan as saying 44 people were trapped 300 metres below the entrance of the mine, and five more were trapped 350 metres below the entrance.

Footage on Turkish television showed what it said were the families of the miners watching from the sidelines as health and rescue workers huddled around the entrance into the mine.

State-owned Anadolu Agency said Bartin prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion. – Reuters, AP

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