Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Deadly Turkey blast 'traps hundreds'

BBC News online -- 13 May 2014
The BBC's Selin Girit says Turkey does not have a good record on mine safety

At least 17 people have been killed after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in western Turkey, officials say.

An estimated 200 to 400 miners are still trapped underground at the mine in Soma, Manisa province.
A huge rescue operation has been launched and some 20 people are reported to have been brought out so far, 11 of them with injuries.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has ordered the regional governor to deploy all resources to rescue the miners.

They are thought to be 4km (2.4 miles) from the entrance, at a depth of 2km.
While it is estimated that 580 workers were underground at the time of the blast, it is thought many of them managed to escape.

Union officials said as the blast occurred at shift changeover time, there was uncertainty about how many miners were still inside, Reuters news agency reports.

Large crowds of worried family members gathered near the privately-owned mine.
Thick smoke
Rescue workers at the entrance of the mine at Soma 13/05/2014 The fire at the mine is said to have been triggered by an electrical fault
Rescue workers and ambulances at the entrance to the Soma mine 13/05/2014 Rescue workers and many ambulances have been sent to the mine
Workers and relatives arrive after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in Soma 13/05/2014 Workers and relatives rushed to the mine
Locals and relatives of miners who are trapped in a coal mine wait in front of a hospital in Soma 13/05/2014 Crowds also converged on the local hospital, waiting for news
Rescue workers at the entrance to mine in Soma, in western Turkey 13/05/2014 Orders have been given for everything to be done to get the trapped miners out

A senior local official, Mehmet Bahattin Atci, said thick smoke was hampering rescue efforts.
Energy Ministry Taner Yildiz said it was a "serious accident" and that he was going to Soma to oversee the rescue operation.

He told reporters that the fire had been triggered by an electrical fault.
He also said that four separate rescue teams were currently working in the mine.

"The fire creates a problem but oxygen is being pumped into the mine shafts that weren't affected," he added.
Map of Soma in Turkey

Before leaving for Manisa, Mr Yildiz told journalists it was too early to be precise about the extent of casualties: "I don't want to give any numbers. We first have to reach our workers underground,"

Analysts say the safety record of Turkey's coal mining industry lags behind that of most industrial nations.

The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when 270 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea.

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posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, May 13, 2014

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