The funerals for miners killed at a mine explosion in Amasra in northern Turkey began yesterday, as the death toll reached 41, officials confirmed.
It was a somber mood at the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise as relatives received the sad news of losing their loved ones during the explosion. When the incident occurred, 110 miners were working below the ground. The relatives’ anxious waits turned into a devastating experience as officials confirmed the news on Saturday.
At the funeral of one of the miners, Selcuk Ayvaz, women mourned as he was buried in a coffin wrapped in a red and white Turkish flag.
When he arrived at the accident scene, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that the body of another one of the missing miners was found, bringing the total number of deaths to 41. The president was flanked by rescuers, miners, and other officials during the process. He vowed to find a lasting solution to mining disasters in the country.
The worst mine disaster occurred in 2014, when 301 miners died after a fire erupted in the mines in Soma town. Exactly five months after the incident, 18 more people lost their lives in central Karaman Province due to flooding at the coal mine.
“We don’t want to see unnecessary risks and deficiencies,” Erdogan added. The investigation will figure out what happened and if anyone was responsible for the blast.
During the explosions, 11 people got injured and hospitalized, with five victims in critical condition. Fifty-eight people were rescued without injury.
Fatih Donmez, the energy minister confirmed rescue efforts were almost complete; however, the work to isolate the fire burning near the area where more than a dozen miners had been trapped was still ongoing.
Preliminary reports suggest that the explosion was likely caused by flammable gas found at coal sites, Donmez added.
So far, three prosecutors are investigating the blast. A spokesperson for the trade union, DISK, said, “We are sad and angry,” and that the deaths were preventable since the union’s safety suggestions were ignored. After the Soma incident, more inspections were mandated. However, precautions were ignored for profit, claimed the DISK’s leader, Arzu Cerkezoglu, terming the Friday tragedy a “massacre.”
Most countries have sent their condolences to the affected families and Turkey in general. However, Greece’s prime minister offered rescue aid despite the recent tense relationship between the two countries.
In separate news, the Turkish police said they will take legal action against 12 people who allegedly shared provocative messages on social media about the mine explosion.
