At least 14 workers were killed and 28 others injured in a deadly coal mine blast in Turkey in northwestern Turkey on Friday, the country’s interior minister said.
Scores of workers were still stranded underground in two locations 300 and 350 meters below sea level, as of Friday evening.
The accident occurred at 6 p.m. local time in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea province of Bartin.
“Our hope is that the loss of life does not increase further, that our miners are saved. All our efforts are geared in that direction”
Turkish President Erdogan
Deadly coal mine blast in Turkey
Television images from Friday night showed hundreds of people — many crying — gathering around a damaged building near the entrance to the pit. Some grimly await news of loved ones.
The cause of the Deadly coal mine blast in Turkey at the TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine, which is state-owned, remains unknown.
People still trapped in the mine blast
Local governor Nurtac Arslan told reporters that five people were trapped 350 metres below ground and another 44 at another location 300 meters below ground, while the mining trade union Maden-Is reported 35 people still trapped.
Eight miners had managed to crawl out of the damaged pit on their own and were now receiving medical assistance, Arslan added.
Maden Is said a build-up of methane gas was behind the blast, but other officials said it was too soon to draw conclusions over the cause of the accident.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced the two fatalities on Twitter. He said 20 other people were injured but did not provide information on their condition.
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