Investigation launched into coal mine explosion that killed 13 miners

An investigation was initiated into the causes of the coal mine blast, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The explosion, which is thought to have been caused by methane gas, took place at a mine near Dursunbey, trapping workers underground. The death toll was originally announced as 17, but four bodies had been counted twice, Dinçer explained.

At least four of the 18 injured were in critical condition on Wednesday with severe burns, the minister said.

Relatives of the miners, who live in nearby villages, rushed to the mine after hearing about the incident.

Forty-six miners were on duty when the incident occurred. Twenty-nine workers got out of the mine unassisted. Rescue teams came to the scene immediately after the incident and helped take injured workers to nearby hospitals. Five miners who were seriously burned died at the hospital where they were receiving treatment.

Two of the miners were seriously injured and were transferred to İzmit’s Derince Training and Research Hospital, which has a better-equipped burn unit. The two remain in critical condition. Dr. Zekeriya İlçe said both Hüseyin Kartepe (37) and Ramazan Fidan (31) sustained second-degree burns. The remaining seriously burned workers were transferred to hospitals in İstanbul and İzmir.

The 13 miners who died in the incident were reportedly buried in their hometowns yesterday.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız attended the funeral prayer of miner Mustafa Demirel, who died due to a deadly explosion in a Balıkesir mine.

Attending the funeral of one of the miners in Dursunbey, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız told reporters that the exact reasons of the blast will be determined after an investigation, which will begin once the mine is cleared of methane gas.

“A panel of experts has been formed by the Dursunbey Public Prosecutor’s Office in order to investigate the cause of the accident. They will prepare a report within a week,” he said.

The minister further said about TL 400,000 was allocated in emergency aid to assist the families of the mine blast victims.

A December accident in neighboring Bursa province left 19 miners dead. Turkey’s worst mining disaster was a 1992 gas explosion that killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak. Dinçer noted that the mine workers were well-informed about safety in mines and were among the rescue teams that went to Bursa in December.

17 died in the same mine four years ago

This was the second deadly explosion in four years at the mine near Dursunbey after 17 workers were killed and seven others injured in a similar blast in 2006. A report by experts revealed that poor air-conditioning systems led to a methane gas build-up while improperly insulated electric cables caused a spark that ignited the gas, causing the explosion.

Mine inspected 20 days ago

Returning to Turkey following his visit to Spain, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the mine was inspected 20 days ago but that he did not know the details of the report.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Balıkesir deputy and Parliamentary Mine Commission member Ergün Aydoğan said they had inspected the Balıkesir mine after the deadly blast in 2006 and that they were planning to present the mine as an exemplary facility following a commission visit in April.

Aydoğan highlighted that the mine was equipped with the latest technology and warning systems. He also said the heat inside the mine rose to between 1,600 and 1,800 degrees Celsius, burning the workers to death. Aydoğan added that the workers would have died due to lack of oxygen even if they had escaped the heat. The parliamentary commission will visit the scene of the accident to examine the damage and then visit the miners’ families.

Mine owner faints while testifying

Erhan Ortaköylü, the mine’s owner, fainted while testifying at the public prosecutor’s office and was hospitalized at Dursunbey State Hospital. He had already been suffering from heart problems. Following treatment, Ortaköylü was taken to the district’s gendarme commandership with the chief engineer of the mine to testify.

Safety violations and outdated equipment have been factors in past mine accidents in Turkey.