Turkish mine blast death toll rises to 41
A total of 41 miners have died in yet another mine explosion in Turkey, this time in the northern province of Bartın.
Reuters
The death toll after an explosion in a coal mine in Turkey’s northern Bartın province has reached 41, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 15.
Earlier, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said 58 of the 110 people working in the mine when the blast occurred were rescued by the teams or got out by themselves.
Soylu also said one miner was discharged from hospital while 10 were still receiving treatment in Bartın and Istanbul.
Authorities said Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident but initial indications were that the blast was caused by firedamp, a term referring to methane in coal mines.
Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez said a fire in the mine was largely contained but fire isolation and cooling efforts were continuing after the incident that took place 350 meters below ground.
In 2014, 301 workers were killed in Turkey’s worst ever mining disaster in the western town of Soma, 350 kilometers south of Istanbul.