22 workers were killed tonight (Friday) in an explosion in a coal mine in Bertin province in northern Turkey. 17 other workers were injured, Turkish Health Minister Fehrtin Koka said. At this stage it is not clear how many workers are still trapped in the rubble, as it is known that at the time of the explosion more than 100 people were on the site.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu also said that the explosion occurred at a depth of between 300 and 350 meters underground, where 49 people were working at the time of the explosion. “Some we managed to evacuate from the area, some we didn’t,” Soylo told reporters at the scene. Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmaz said that initial tests indicate that the explosion was caused by the ignition of methane gas.
The country’s worst mine disaster occurred eight years ago in a coal mine in western Turkey. Following a fire that broke out due to a short circuit, 201 people were killed and 80 others were injured.