Funerals for miners killed in a coal mine explosion in northern Türkiye began as officials raised the death toll to at least 41 people.
Eleven people were injured and hospitalized, with five in serious condition, while 58 others managed to get out of the mine on their own or were rescued unharmed.
Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Saturday that rescue operations were completed.
“We stand by our families, our Bartin with all of our institutions,” he tweeted.
“May God prevent such painful experiences,” he added.
Desperate relatives had waited all night in the cold outside the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise’s (TTK) mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin, hoping for news.
There were 110 miners working several hundred meters below ground at the time of the explosion on Friday evening.
Women cried at the funeral of miner Selcuk Ayvaz, whose coffin was wrapped in the red and white Turkish flag.
Another miner, 28-year-old Aziz Kose, held his newborn baby just days ago. They mostly came from working-class families and went underground to the coal mines to make a living.
“We don’t want to see deficiencies or unnecessary risks,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, and added that an investigation would reveal if anyone is responsible for the blast.
He then joined funeral prayers for Rahman Ozcelik, 22, at a village where Turkish media said three other miners were also being mourned.
Erdogan canceled a planned visit to the southeastern city of Diyarbakir and travelled to Amasra instead to coordinate the rescue operation.
Cause of the blast
The cause of the blast at the Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises mine was under investigation.
Donmez said the explosion is likely to have been caused by firedamp, a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines.
Turkish TV footage showed people being carried to ambulances, with emergency personnel crowding the area.
Workers speak of the incident
“We got a call and we ran into the mine immediately. We pulled some of the workers out of the mine. But we could not go inside due to the gas leak,” Aykut Uysal, a miner told TRT World.
“We did not pull them out, it is the expert team doing that but we helped to carry them out of the mine.”
The private DHA news agency quoted one mine worker as telling Bartin governor Arslan that he came out of the mine by his own means. He described feeling “pressure” but said he could not see anything due to the dust and dirt.
People rushed to the mine for news of trapped friends or colleagues, DHA reported.
