Methane blast at Turkish coal mine kills 2, injures 5, one trapped
A methane explosion at a private coal mine in Zonguldak's Kilimli district killed 2 miners and injured 5, with one worker still trapped, officials said.
A methane gas explosion at a private coal mine in the Gelik area of Kilimli district, in Turkey's Zonguldak province, killed 2 miners and injured 5 on Friday morning, interior minister Mustafa Ciftci said. One miner remained trapped underground, with rescue efforts under way, he said.
The blast happened in the morning at a mine with eight workers inside, Zonguldak governor Osman Hacibektasoglu told reporters outside hospital. Seven of the eight had been brought out by the time he spoke; two had died and two of the five injured had been intubated after suffering burns, he said.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said one of the five injured miners was in serious condition and remained under treatment, while rescue and emergency teams continued working at the site. The injured were being treated at a state hospital, with plans to transfer some to Ankara, the governor said.
Teams from Turkey's disaster agency AFAD, the gendarmerie, the 112 emergency medical service and the state-run Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise were sent to the mine after the explosion, Ciftci said. Officials said they were continuing efforts to reach and extract the final trapped miner, though his condition had not been confirmed.
Gelik mayor Burhan Sezgin gave a slightly different early account, saying seven miners were hurt in the blast and four taken to hospital, while two died at the scene and one remained trapped; officials' figures settled on 2 dead and 5 injured as rescue work continued through the morning.
Methane mixed with air underground is known in Turkish mining as "grizu" and is highly combustible, along with other gases such as ethane, propane, butane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide that can build up in coal mines, posing a constant explosion risk to underground workers.
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What we know
- A methane explosion at a private coal mine in Zonguldak's Kilimli district killed 2 miners and injured 5 on Friday, Turkey's interior minister said.
- One miner remained trapped underground as rescue efforts continued, officials said.
- Two of the injured were intubated after suffering burns; one was in serious condition, the health minister said.
- AFAD, gendarmerie, emergency medical and state mining agency teams were sent to the site, the interior minister said.
Not yet confirmed
- One outlet initially reported three miners dead, a figure not confirmed by the governor or government ministers, who all say two died.
Why it matters for Europe
The blast is the latest incident at a coal mine in Zonguldak province, on Turkey's Black Sea coast, where underground methane build-up is a recognised and continuing hazard for miners working the region's coal seams. The rapid deployment of disaster, gendarmerie, health and state mining teams reflects how seriously Turkish authorities treat such accidents, with ministers in Ankara issuing public statements within hours of the explosion.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Sözcü: Zonguldak'ta maden ocağında patlama! Ölü ve yaralılar var
- NTV Türkiye: SON DAKİKA: Zonguldak'ta maden ocağında patlama. Ölü ve yaralılar var
- Cumhuriyet: Son dakika... Zonguldak'ta maden ocağında patlama: Ölü ve yaralılar var!
- NTV Türkiye: Zonguldak'ta maden ocağında patlama: İşte ilk görüntüler
- Habertürk: Zonguldak'ta maden ocağında patlama! 2 madenci can verdi
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened at the Zonguldak mine?
- A methane explosion at a private coal mine in the Kilimli district killed 2 miners and injured 5 on Friday, officials said.
- Is anyone still trapped?
- Yes, one miner remained trapped underground as of Friday, with rescue efforts under way, the interior minister said.
- What caused the blast?
- Officials described it as a methane ("grizu") explosion, a hazard that occurs when methane mixes with air underground in coal mines.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.