Mine collapse kills one in northern Turkey
A June 4 mine collapse in northern Turkey’s Zonguldak province killed one miner and injured another. This is the second fatal mine collapse in the province in a month.
Duvar English
A coal mine on June 4 collapsed in the Gelik district of Turkey’s northern province of Zonguldak, killing one and injuring another miner.
The Turkish Hardcoal Authority, a state-owned enterprise, operated the mine.
Miners Tevfik Soy and Harun Kara were trapped after the collapse. They were rescued and taken to hospital within hours, according to initial reports.
Soy died in the hospital, while Kara incurred light injuries.
This is the second fatal mine collapse that occurred within a month in Gelik. A May 15 collapse similarly killed one and injured another.
Public and private companies operate in the district with rich coal sources.
Unions and civil society organizations recently commemorated the 11th anniversary of the Soma mining disaster, the deadliest in Turkish history with 301 casualties.
Even with such a disaster in the recent past, persistent mine collapses and “work accidents” at Turkey’s mines emphasize the lack of appropriate controls and measures, putting miners’ lives at further risk.