Mine blast in Turkey kills at least 28 and trapped dozens

In northern Turkey, 28 people were killed and dozens trapped underground after a methane explosion.

Another 11 trapped survivors are being treated in hospital after one of Turkey’s deadliest industrial accidents.

Suleyman Soylu told reporters earlier after he urgently flew to the Black Sea coal mining town of Amasra.

There were 110 of our brothers working [underground] in total, and we were extremely proud of them. According to him, some of the people emerged without assistance, and some were rescued.

Early reports of trapped

In addition, Soylu confirmed early reports that nearly 50 miners were trapped between 300 and 350 meters underground.

Television images showed crowds of anxious people – some crying – congregating around a damaged white building near the pit entrance in search of news.

On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will cancel all other plans and fly to the accident scene.

We hope that our miners will be found alive, that the death toll won’t rise further,” Erdogan wrote in a tweet.

In order to achieve this goal, all of our efforts are directed in this direction.”

In addition to expressing grief over the loss of life, Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to the families of the deceased.

Taking to Twitter, he said that he hoped the trapped people would be rescued at the earliest opportunity.

Initial information

Workers who had climbed out relatively unscathed provided the majority of initial information about those trapped inside.

Although many of those who survived sustained “serious injuries,” Amasra mayor Recai Cakir stated.

Moments before sunset, the blast occurred, and the darkness hindered rescue efforts.

A buildup of methane gas was attributed to the blast by the Maden Is mining union in Turkey.

Other officials, however, said concluding the cause of the accident was premature.

Rescuers sent in reinforcements

In an attempt to find life, the rescuers sent in reinforcements from the surrounding villages.

Paramedics gave oxygen to the miners who climbed out, then rushed them to hospitals nearby.

Approximately 250 meters below the surface of the pit, a team of more than 70 rescuers has reached a point.

The rescuers were unsure whether they would be able to reach the trapped workers or what was blocking their path.

A malfunctioning transformer appears to have caused the blast, according to AFAD’s disaster management service.

The report was later withdrawn, with the statement that “unknown reasons” led to methane gas being ignited.

It is being treated as an accident by the local prosecutor’s office, and a formal investigation has been launched.

As a result of a blast in Soma, Turkey’s deadliest coal mining disaster of 2014 killed 301 workers.