Coal Mine in Turkey
Coal Mine Collapse in Turkey – The Dark Side
May 13, 2014 is figuratively a dark day as coal mine collapse in Turkey claimed almost 300 lives. It was a tragic event that claimed the spot as the worst mine disaster as it showed people how monstrous coal mines can be. The electrical explosion claimed lives as well as the fire that it caused. The emergency crew continued to search for survivors, hoping to find people and bring the survivors back to their families.
Aside from the 274 people who died, 450 miners were rescued and more than a hundred souls are believed to be trapped inside the coal mine. The coal mine is located in Soma. Emergency workers had to wait because of poisonous gases and thick smoke to rescue the victims of the coal mine collapse in Turkey. Families are holding on to a straw of hope that the trapped victims were able to go to the “safe room” in the mine. Survivors with blackened skin were welcomed by cheers from the waiting crowd. However, when dead bodies were taken out, the cheers were replaced with sobs and mourning.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, went to the mine and gave a speech which felt like salt on fresh wound. He reminded the crowd of coal mine collapse in Turkey in the past and connected it to the recent accident saying that such events are considered ordinary workplace accidents. This infuriated the crowd even though he promised a thorough investigation on the tragic event. The prime minister had to find safety inside a nearby grocery store.
In Ankara, protesters tried to get into the energy ministry but failed as they were driven away with water cannons and tear gas. The police used such actions to disperse the protesters seeking justice for the victims of the coal mine collapse in Turkey. Protesters were also spotted at the coal mine headquarters in Istanbul.
At the time of the accident, about 800 people were inside the mine according to officials. However, in interviews with the miners, they say that there are actually about a thousand people inside. Reportedly, the poisonous carbon monoxide took most of the victims’ lives upon the explosion of an electrical unit. This resulted to a fire inside the coal mine. However, Soma Komur Isletmeleri, the mining company, is not yet sure about the actual cause of the said explosion which caused the tragic coal mine collapse in Turkey.
Such accidents are common in Turkey. Coal mines are known as dangerous workplaces wherein death always looms. This is why government officials decided to conduct investigations on the safety conditions of different mines.
The recent coal mine collapse in Turkey beat the record of the 1992 mine blast in Zonguldak which claimed 263 lives.
Such accident is the reason why most people have negative thoughts associated with coal mines. With about 300 lives lost, the families grieve and mourn, some still hold on to hope and prayers, and the the whole country shares the loss of these coal mine collapse in Turkey victims’ families.