Death Toll Rises to 41 After Türkiye Mine Explosion

The number of workers killed in an explosion at a coal mine in northern Türkiye rose to 41, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who went to the scene of the incident, said Saturday.

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Speaking to the press, Erdogan said, "How the explosion occurred and who is responsible, if any, will be revealed through administrative and judicial investigations."

"We no longer want to see unnecessary or lost risks in our mines. We are in the process of doing everything possible to bury mining accidents in history using all the capabilities of technology," he said.

Erdogan, who arrived at the coal mine where the explosion took place in the Amasra district of Bartın province on the Black Sea shore, inspected the blast site in the company of ministers, rescue authorities and emergency services officials.

President Erdogan was briefed by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Bilgin and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez on the work done and the latest situation in the mining area.

Erdogan, who moved to the Mobile Disaster Coordination Center of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), chaired the coordination meeting.

"One of our injured has been discharged," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said, adding that 11 injured workers are under treatment in hospitals.

Soylu to reporters in the Amasra district of Bartin province, where dozens of miners have been trapped underground since around 18H15 local time (15H15 GMT) on Friday.

The official confirmed that 58 of the 110 miners were rescued, but there is uncertainty about one of the miners, adding that search and rescue efforts are currently underway.

Meanwhile, Energy and Natural Resources head Fatih Donmez said the fire that broke out in a gallery after the mine explosion is almost under control.

The mine is under the management of the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises.