Turkish Coal Mine Explosion Kills at Least 238 Workers in Manisa

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The mining explosion and fire late Tuesday in Turkey killed at least 238 coal miners in Soma/Manisa. Turkish officials are trying to rescue hundreds of workers who have been trapped 420 meters underground. According to Turkish news channels, more than 70 mine workers were injured.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, who visited the coal mine, said that 787 people were working inside at the time of accident. Because the explosion took place during a change in shifts, there was initial uncertainty about the number of miners inside.

"Fresh air, oxygen is being pumped into the mine," Yildiz said in a televised presser. "This is the most important thing for our workers down there. We are facing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning. We have to get our friends out of there swiftly."

According to press reports, the disaster was caused by an explosion and fire at a power distribution unit. Turkey's Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, cancelled a day trip to Albania on Wednesday and would instead go to the site of the disaster, his office said. Erdogan also declared three days of national mourning, ordering flags to be lowered to half-staff.

The mine is owned by Soma Komur Isletmeleri, part of the Soma Group. The company said in a statement that an explosion at a power distribution unit started the blaze, and the cause of the accident is under investigation. The mine has been regularly inspected, and no violation of safety regulations was observed in the latest inspection less than a month ago, semi-official Anatolian News Agency reported.

Thousands of people gathered outside the mine and the hospital in Soma to get news of their relatives, while the massive rescue operation continued. Accidents are common in Turkey's mining industry, which is plagued by poor safety conditions, especially in coal mining.

Turkey's worst mining accident was a 1992 gas explosion that killed 263 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak. In May 2010, another gas explosion killed 30 miners, again in Zonguldak province.

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