Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 29
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Little hope remains to rescue miners trapped inside a collapsed mine near Ermenek town,
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz was quoted Oct. 29 by TRT Haber TV channel as saying.
"At present, the work is underway to rescue the miners," he said.
The minister said that at present, the water is at a low level in the mine.
Rock collapse with subsequent flooding occurred at a mine near Ermenek town, Karaman province, southern Turkey Oct. 28.
At the time of the collapse, some 40 miners were inside, most managed to get out. Currently, there are 18 miners trapped inside the mine, according to the channel.
Flooding and landslide occurred at a depth of 375 meters. Rescuers hope that 18 miners remaining underground could hide in unflooded sections. The water level in the mine covered 50 meters. Water can be pumped out within two days. The authorities also plan to use divers in the flooded areas.
In total, there are 740 coal mines and 48,706 miners in Turkey.
Over 3,000 people have been killed and over 100,000 have received various injuries since 1941 to the present day in the mining accidents in Turkey.
Some 10.4 percent of all work accidents occur at mines in the country.
The previous worst mine accident in Turkey's history occurred in the province of Zonguldak in 1992, killing 263 workers.