At Least 274 Dead in Turkey's Worst Mine Disaster

At least 274 people are dead in what has become the worst mining disaster in Turkey's history.

                                                                 IMAGE: Emrah Gurel/ Associated Press 

So far, 363 miners have been rescued, while the fate of 150 others who remain trapped underground is unclear, according to multiple reports. Approximately 787 miners were inside a coal mine in western Turkey when an explosion and fire occurred Tuesday, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said. The mine is located in Soma, a town in the province of Manisa, around 155 miles south of Istanbul.

Most of the victims died from carbon-monoxide poisoning, with some miners 1,378 feet deep inside the mine, Yildiz said Tuesday. Rescue workers continued searching for the missing miners Wednesday, and were trying to pump clean air into the mine, while venting out carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, the AP reported. Burials for the victims took place later that day.

Previously, Turkey's worst mining disaster was a 1992 gas explosion that killed 263 workers near Zonguldak, a port city on the Black Sea.

Source: Mashable