Turkish mine explosion kills 28 and leaves dozens trapped

11:20, 15.10.2022

At least 28 people have died and dozens remain trapped underground after an explosion in a coal mine in northern Turkey’s Bartin province.

Around 110 people were in the mine at the time of the blast on Friday, almost half of them at over 300 metres deep, the BBC reported.

Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca said 11 people had been rescued and were being treated.

Emergency crews worked through the night, digging through rock to try to reach more survivors.

Video footage shows miners emerging blackened and bleary-eyed accompanied by rescuers at the facility in Amasra, on the Black Sea coast.

The explosion is believed to have occurred at around 300m deep. The cause of the blast is not yet known, and the local prosecutor’s office has begun an investigation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit the site on Saturday.

The mine belongs to the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises.

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Turkish mine