25 killed in northern Türkiye mine blast

ANKARA (AA) – Twenty-five workers were killed Friday in a blast at a coal mine in northern Türkiye, according to the Bartın Governor’s Office.

The office said in a statement that “36 of our mine workers were evacuated from the accident site. 25 of our mined workers lost their lives and 6 of our miners were sent to Istanbul for treatment.”

Earlier, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca put the death toll at 22.

Eight of the injured are being treated at an intensive care unit, Koca wrote on Twitter.

Five are at the Emergency Response Center established in the area, he added.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said they were among 28 miners who have so far been rescued and moved to hospitals.

At least three miners are in critical condition in intensive care units, he told reporters at the mine in Amasra, a district in the Black Sea province of Bartin.

Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said initial findings indicate the blast was caused by firedamp, an explosive mixture of flammable gases in mines.

Dozens of miners are believed to have been trapped underground since around 6:15 p.m. local time (1515GMT), with nearly 150 personnel engaged in search and rescue operations.

Bartin Governor Nurtac Arslan said earlier that 12 miners had been pulled out and at least 49 were trapped but authorities are yet to release an updated figure.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is closely monitoring the situation, the Turkish Presidency said on Twitter.

He canceled a planned trip to eastern Diyarbakir province and will instead travel Saturday to Amasra.

In a tweet, Erdogan said search and rescue operations are progressing “rapidly” at the mine.