40 killed, dozens trapped by explosion in Türkiye coal mine
An explosion inside a coal mine in northern Türkiye has killed at least 40 people and trapped dozens of others beneath the rubble of the blast, officials said.
The explosion took place in the Black Sea town of Amasra in Bartin province.
“The number of casualties due to the explosion in Bartin has reached 40. Everything necessary for the treatment of 11 patients, six in Istanbul and five in Bartin, is being done,” Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on his official Twitter account.
Rescuers are working through the night as the death toll rises, with video footage from the scene showing miners emerging blackened and bleary-eyed.
There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion, said Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who travelled to Amasra to coordinate the search and rescue operation.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the explosion.
“We are doing our best to ensure that the injured recover as soon as possible,” Koca told reporters.
“I wish God’s mercy on each of them.”
Türkiye witnessed its deadliest ever coal mining disaster in 2014, when 301 people died after a blast in the western town of Soma.
The disaster fueled public anger and discontent towards the government’s response to the tragedy.
