Turkey mine blast: death toll climbs to 41
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Ankara: According to Suleyman Soylu, the interior minister of Turkey, the number of fatalities in an explosion at an underground coal mine in the Bartin region of northern Turkey has risen to 41.
The explosion occurred on Friday evening near the village of Amasra at a depth of 300 metres, according to the Minister, who verified that 110 people were present in the mine at the time.
Among them, 58 later managed to get out on their own, 11 others were injured and hospitalised, and the status of one remaining miner was unclear, he told reporters on Saturday.
The explosion occurred at 6:15 p.m. local time at the Amasra Hard Coal Enterprise, Bartin province said in a statement on Friday.
After more than 20 hours since Friday's tragic explosion, the discovery of the last unaccounted-for body brings the rescue effort to an end.
One worker who managed to escape on his own said: "There was dust and smoke and we don't know exactly what happened."
Preliminary findings indicated that the blast was likely caused by firedamp, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez.
The fire in the gallery was largely under control, he said, noting "all search and rescue teams are on duty".
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was travelling to the scene.
In 2014, as many as 301 people died in Turkey's worst mine disaster in a fire inside a coal mine in Soma town of western Manisa province.
With inputs from IANS