Dozens of miners killed in deadly explosion

The death toll from a coal-mine explosion in Türkiye’s northern Bartin Province has climbed to 40, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Saturday.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca previously stated that 11 miners had been rescued and were being treated in hospitals. Officials said that the lives of survivors are not at risk.

The blast occurred at a depth of 300 meters (985 feet) around 6:15pm local time on Friday.

According to Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, firedamp, a mixture of flammable gasses found in mines, may have caused the explosion.

Soylu said 110 workers were at the mine when the blast happened, including 49 miners who were in the deeper sections where the risk is higher. 

“All of our institutions are meticulously working on all issues related to the explosion, especially the search and rescue, which started quickly after the incident,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted.

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The president said he had canceled a trip to the Diyarbakir Province on Saturday in order to arrive in the city of Amasra, where the mine is located, to coordinate the rescue efforts.