Mine explosion in Turkey kills two, injures five

A powerful explosion caused by a methane gas leak occurred at a private hard-coal mine in Gelik, in the Kilimli district of Zonguldak province in northern Turkey. According to preliminary official information, two miners were killed and five others suffered injuries of varying severity.

“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that AFAD (Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority), gendarmerie, emergency medical teams and specialized mining rescue crews were dispatched to the site immediately after the explosion.

Two of the five workers injured in the explosion at the mine are reported to be in critical condition. They were evacuated to nearby hospitals and admitted to intensive care units.

Health and civil defense authorities are continuing search-and-rescue and safety operations to determine whether any other workers remain underground.

Relevant state agencies and law enforcement authorities have launched a comprehensive official investigation to establish the exact cause of the explosion, gas concentration levels in the mine’s air and whether occupational safety rules were followed.