8 Arrested in Soma Mine Disaster Case

* Click here for the photo gallery. 

An explosion left officially 301 workers in a coal mine in Soma, in the western province of Manisa. Here are the confirmed live updates:

May 20, 2014

2:03 pm (GMT+2): Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik told Cumhuriyet that the main responbility in the Soma Mine Disaster belonged to Energy Minister Taner Yıldız. 

"Mine pits are not in my field. Regarding the inspection of mine pits, my ministry can only make inspections. However, the matters regarding pits, licences and procecedures belong to the Energy Ministry," he said. 

May 19, 2014

9:16 pm (GMT+2): A court arrested Soma Mining Co top officials Can Gürkan and Ramazan Doğru, increasing the number of arrestees to 8 within the case. 

12:08 pm (GMT+2): Turkey's May 19 National Day celebrations have been canceled due to Soma Mine Disaster. President Gül released an official May 19 message commemorating the workers who died in the disaster. PM's May 19 message, on the other hand, didn't mention the disaster. 

9:54 am (GMT+2): Following their procedures in Akhisar Prosecutor's Office, 5 suspects have been arrested within the Soma Mine Disaster Case. The court released 15 suspects within judiciary control measures.

May 18, 2014

2:24 pm (GMT+2): Police crackdown on Soma Mining Co administrators and shift supervisors. 15 have been detained.

May 17, 2014

10:58 pm (GMT+2): Police assaulted demonstrators who assembled in downtown Istanbul to protest the Soma Mine Disaster. While the police put two barricades on Istiklal Avenue, CHP deputy was also among those who were blocked by the police.

8:10 pm (GMT+2): Following their judicial and medical procedures, police released advocates who were detained in Soma district.

5:28 (GMT+2): Istanbul Technical University Mining Faculty Administration canceled the academic advisor membership of Alp Gürkan and Ismet Kasapoğlu, owner of Soma Mining Co and TOBB Mining Assembly Chairman respectively, following the demands of ITU students who occupied the faculty.

3:20 pm (GMT+2): It was reported that the last remaining two worker bodies were taken out from the mine with the official death toll climbing to 301.

1:22 pm (GMT+2): Police detained several protestors in Soma district including advocates affiliated with Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD). While the detentions took place outside Educator's Union (Eğitim-Sen) Headquarters, police reportedly handcuffed protestors on the street by using force.

It was reported that 34 protestors were detained and transferred to a gym campus.

On the other hand, Manisa Governor's Office released a statement banning all protests in the area.

"During these sorrowful and sensative days, we are announcing the public that unlawful provocative actions will not be allowed," the statement said.

In addition to that, police allegedly stopped certain vehicle on the intercity highway and IDed passangers.

1:20 pm (GMT+2): Energy Minister Taner Yıldız announced that 485 workers have been saved so far while 299 lost their lives. He also added that rescue teams extinguished a blaze that broke out in the mine as of this morning.  Sabah çıkan yangın söndürüldü.

11:46 am (GMT+2): A recent footage [YouTube sourced] showed PM Erdoğan telling a demonstrator "If you boo, then you get a slap" during his visit to Soma district on May 14.

On the same day, PM also found refuge in a local supermarket, allegedly assaulting a demonstrator inside. A new footage also shed light on this incident.

11:36 am (GMT+2): Last night, police reportedly attempted to detain a 10 year old child in the western province of İzmir who was suspected of attending Soma Mine Disaster protestors. While it was claimed that the child was only in Talatpaşa Boulevard for loitering, police changed their decision to detain the child after passers-by protests.

10:00 am (GMT+2): Energy Minister Taner Yıldız made a statement, updating the death toll to 299.

May 16, 2014

5:50 pm (GMT+2): Police asaulted on those who assembled in downtown Soma district to protest the death of 284 workers in the mining disaster. 

"Genuine residents of Soma district, stay away from the crowd. The intervention will begin," a police announcement said. 

Social media users reported injuries from the incident scene.

3:13 pm (GMT+2): Social media users shared photos of Some district's traffic zone banner with graffiti writing "- 302" in reference to the total number of possible deaths (284 officially declared + 18 still trapped) in the mine disaster. 

11:30 am (GMT+2): Soma Mining Co Executive Board Chairman and other company officials held a press conference, claiming that 787 workers were initially trapped underground and they had "no negligence" on the mine disaster.

10:15 am (GMT+2): Energy Minister Yıldız announced the death toll as 284. He also added that there were at most 18 more workers trapped underground. "In sum, we will close this up with losses from 299 to 302.

May 15, 2014

8:10 pm (GMT+2): Energy Minister Yıldız declared the death toll as 283.

5:37 pm (GMT+2): An online petition to urge the Turkish government to sign the International Labor Organization's No.176 "Security and Health in Mines Convention" attracted at least 109.130 signatures.

4:54 pm (GMT+2): A footage allegedly showed PM assaulting a mine worker and a young woman after entering a local supermarket to escape protest in disaster-stricken Soma district.

YUSUF YERKEL (Advisor of TURKISH PM ) kicked a protestor on street right in front of press #Soma #BuYumrukHepimize pic.twitter.com/WTVl4BUW8a

— T.C RESISTANCE (@grinch1969) May 15, 2014

3:30 pm (GMT+2): On his visit to Soma, President Gül made the following statement:

"We shouldn't be experiencing this sorrow. If these tragedies have been minimalized in developped countries, if they don't happen there anymore, we should also inspect our regulations and take the necessary precautions. Turkey's State Audit Council (DDK) have recommendations on the issue. I am sure they will shed light on the issue, on the regulations."

3:08 pm (GMT+2): Labor Ministry previously released a report on the Mining Work Places Evaluation, saying that only 18 of the 142 inspected work places in 19 different cities don't lack security and health conditions. Ministry announced the 132 page report last year. The report mentions that out of 142 work places 124 of them have deficiencies.

"There are serious deficiencies on the earlier evaluation of risks and preventing them from happening" the report said according to bianet.

2:50 pm (GMT+2): A  walk has been organized in the southern province of Antalya to commemorate those who lost their lives in Soma.

Photo credit: Süleyman Elçin / AA

1:47 pm (GMT+2): Rescue teams started to resume their work.

1:42 pm (GMT+2): bianet interviewed Mehmet Torun, former chairman of Mining Engineers, on the urgent measures to prevent future catastrophes in Turkey's mines:

*Subcontracting and corporatization in mining must be stopped immediately.

* The public sector take the lead in the production of coal.

* Working conditions such as salaries and working hours must improve.

* Inspection experts that provide the inside (inspection of the owner) and outside (inspection of the public) inspections must not receive their salaries from the owners.

* Independent funds must be allocated for inspections.

* Inspectors must be independent and qualified. Numbers of inspectors must increase.

* Early warning system must improve and protection rooms must proliferate.

1:30 pm (GMT+2): President Gül arrived to the mine disaster area.

12:05 pm (GMT+2): President Abdullah Gül and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Cemil Çiçek arrived to Soma district's Akhisar Public Hospital to visit injured workers.

11:46 am (GMT+2): Radio and Television High Council (RTÜK) released a statement, requesting radio and television networks to show "sensibility on public's grief" while broadcasting the work place murder related news.

11:20 am (GMT+2): According to Milliyet newspaper, a flood is taking place in the mine as rescue teams are unable to evict the water out due to power outrage.

11:00 am (GMT+2): A new blaze was reported from the mine, which paused the rescue efforts to evict the carbonmonoxide gas out of the zone.

08:30 am (GMT+2): Energy Minister Yıldız updated the death toll to 282. He also added that no worker has been saved within the past  12 hours.

May 14, 2014

10.20 pm (GMT+2): Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız declared that the official number of deaths at Soma rose to 274. Search and rescue operations paused until 02:00 am.

Yıldız mentioned that more than 500 people are working at the search and rescue operations and they have to think about their health too. Yıldız added that after the relaxation break the search and rescue operations will start again at 02:00 am and continue until the morning. Minister expressed that there are two compelling areas left and they expect the search and rescue operations to end on Thursday.

Yıldız said "We delivered funerals of 196 people to their families. The time is against us". Yıldız added that they will be able to understand with a technical committee report whether the reason of this fire is the transformer or something else after all of the workers is out from the mine.

10:15 pm (GMT+2): Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız and Family and Social Politics Minister Ayşenur İslam answered the questions of the reporters at the coal mine. Relatives of the workers reacted to Yıldız and İslam while waiting for them to come out of the mine.

One of the relatives of the mine workers said “They made a 15 year old child work here” and Minister answered “Who says that, why is it not proven?” Mine worker relative mentioned that “it was written on social media” and Taner Yıldız replied “People that came up with this claim have to prove it. People that claimed a 15 year old child worked here are liars and slanderers. If a 15 year old child worked here, I will resign”.

Big anti-Erdogan demo in Istanbul in memory of dead #Turkish miners swept away by police & water cannons pic.twitter.com/Zo5XEvvwyB

— Hugh Pope (@Hugh_Pope) May 14, 2014

7:40 pm (GMT+2): Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators who assembled in downtown Istanbul to protest the mine disaster in Soma.   

6:55 pm (GMT+2): Energy Minister Taner Yıldız announced that the death toll rose to 245 in Soma. He also added that the blaze is still not under control in the mine. "There are estimably 120 more workers inside," he added.

Police gasses protestors in #Soma. Riot Vehicles brought in. Crowd dispersed. via @hilmihacaloglu pic.twitter.com/7FWBQNTvgK

— Στράτος Μωραΐτης  (@oemoral) May 14, 2014

6:00 pm (GMT+2): Confederation of Progressive Labor Unions (DİSK), Confederation of Public Labor Unions (KESK), Turkish Engineers and Architectures Chambers Union (TMMOB), Türk-İş İstanbul Offices Platform and İstanbul Doctors Chamber protested the Soma mine work place murder that killed hundreds of mine workers. Shouting slogans like "Some worker is not alone" "Government resign", hundreds of demonstrators assembled in downtown Istanbul to start a protest march from Tunnel to Galatasaray Square.

5:35 pm (GMT+2): PM Erdoğan reportedly faced protests in Soma district, finding refuge in a local supermarket before his guards drive him out of the scene. Click here to see the video by Radikal newspaper.

protesters are attacking AKP building at #Soma pic.twitter.com/4jRUG1L6nJ

— Occupied Taksim (@OccupiedTaksim) May 14, 2014

4:30 pm (GMT+2): Pop star Rihanna has changed the background picture of her Twitter account in memory of the Soma coal mine disaster victims. Rihanna has over 35 million followers on Twitter.

4:16 pm (GMT +2): Rescue efforts resumed in Soma district with little hope.

Photo credit: Zafer Akpınar / AA 

3:57 pm (GMT+2): Confederation of Progressive Workers' Union (DISK), Conferederation of Public Laborers Unions  (KESK), Union of Engineer and Architects Chambers (TMMOB) and Turkish Doctors Union (TTB) released a joint statement, announcing a 1 day strike dedicated to the disaster with the slogan "We know who is responsible of the massacre in Soma".

Worker Unions Confederation of Turkey (TÜRK-İŞ) also announced that they "would cease work for one day" tomorrow.

3:55 pm (GMT+2): The number of dead workers climbed to 238.

3:43 pm (GMT+2): Chamber of Electric Engineers (EMO) Chairman Hüseyin Yeşil told bianet that Energy Minister Taner Yıldız and Soma Mining Co's allegations on the "transformer station explosion" didn't represent the truth.

Yeşil claimed that it was required for mine managements to use "ex-proof" material in transformer stations which insulated all possibility of a blast even under conditions of a breakdown.

2:35 pm (GMT+2): Arriving to Soma district, Prime Minister Erdoğan announced that the death toll rose to 232 in the coal mine disaster.

Photo credit: Emin Mengüarslan / AA

12:00 pm (GMT+2): Turkish Doctors Union (TTB) released a statement, saying that they were able to detect at least 122 workers and rescue team members who have been injured due to the coal mine disaster in Soma district.

People in Istanbul subway protesting the Turkish mine disaster: "Workplace mass murder" #Soma #Turkey pic.twitter.com/8JWBbHlFBH

— Orhan Kolukisa (@psykonaut) May 14, 2014

11:00 am (GMT+2): Soma District Prosecutor's Office have launched an investigation on the mine blast. It was reported that the office was also investigating the allegations of "uncontracted working" in the mine.

10: 33 am (GMT+2): Chamber of Mining Engineers Chairman Ayhan Yüksel told bianet that the incident may have occured due to a coal blast in contrast with the mine owner company's statement. 

"These kind of stations don't explode so easily. These allegations have yet to be proved," said Çetin Uygur, former chairman of Underground Mining Workers Union (Yeraltı Maden İş Sendikası).

10:29 am (GMT+2): Prime Minister's Office released a statement, declaring three days of mourning over the mine disaster in Soma.

"Due to the mine disaster in Soma district of Manisa province that caused a nation-wide sorrow, Prime Minister's Office is declaring three days of morning effective by May 13, 2014," the statement said.

According to that, all flags will be flown at half mast across Turkey and its foreign missions. It was also reported that Turkey's May 19 National Day Celebrations have been canceled.

10:24 am (GMT+2): Soma Mining Co, the owner of the aforementioned coal mine in Soma district, has shut down its website www.tilaga.com.tr with a statement written in white on a background in black.

"The incident occured after a blast caused an explosion in the transformer station," the company said in a statement.

08:50 am: One worker has reportedly been saved alived from the mine.

08:40 am: Energy Minister Yıldız said he was unable to give a number on how many workers have left in the mine but added that their hopes were diminishing.

The statement continued as follows: "201 workers have died and we are worried that the toll may increase. 80 workers were wounded. 20 members of the rescue team have also been affected by the gas in the mine. 4 have been gravely wounded.

"Initially, rescue teams have saved 363 miners. The autopsy of 72 dead miners is also complete. We will follow up on the distribution of funerals. Our hopes for rescue is diminishing though. However, we will continue working till the last step. The contractor company has given us a number. We will not announce the number now, but we will let you know as more workers will be retrived [dead or alive]."

05:00 am (GMT +2): Energy Minister Taner Yıldız announced that the incident left 201 workers dead and 80 wounded. "As the times goes by, our worries are growing," he said.

01:58 am: Energy Minister Taner Yıldız announced that at least 151 workers have died in the incident. "Our rescue efforts are underway," he said. While 363 have been rescued, 76 among them have been hospitalized. Moreover, the rescue mission halted due to a new fire in the mines.

Minister Yıldız to journalists: "151 losses and 363 of 738 got out of the mines.

"76 injured (1 gravely) were sent to the hospital. We must get our workers friends out of there until morning. We have no vendetta whatsoever.

"We will make statement true and transparent. Time is against us. We are concerned that the numbers will rise.''

00:30 am (GMT+2): The first official statement came from Ministry of Energy Taner Yıldız: "We will not give out the numbers yet and we must make haste, not you.

"Explosion occurred at 3:00pm local time. Time is against us, we must get our brothers out of there in haste. To be involved correctly, to give out true information. Our purpose is to get our worker brothers safe.

"We are up against carbon monoxide and dioxide poisoning, not metan gas of firedamp explosion.

"Rescue forces are working. We don't give out the number, we will be transparent.

"Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has canceled his trip to Albaina and he will be in Soma."

May 13, 2014

9:30 pm (GMT+2): Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "Here, in the plenary session of Cameramen Foundation, I wish for good for our passed brother and may their soul rest in peace.

''Rescue works still continue. I hope, that we have the chance to get to rescue our other brothers."

Maden-İş Aegean Representative Tamer Küçükgençay gave out the following technical information:

"We can go into the mines horizontally, not vertically. There are big galleries; no well system. Underground deepness is 150-200 meters. Horizontal gallery length is five kilomemeters. Accident occurred around 3:00 – 3:30pm local time. Rescue teams are extinguishung the fire fire and pushing clean air inside. Rescue efforts started around 8:30pm local time.

Explosion occurred in during the morning shift in the mines, just at the shift change, we don't know why it happened and how many are trapped."

9:00 pm (GMT+2): There is no official statement so far by 9:00pm from either government or company owners. There is no statement for families waiting.

How many are trapped in the mines exactly, how electric grid exploded, how many grids are there and whether oxygen is given inside are questions remaining unanswered.

Due to the fire after the explosion at 3:30pm, big smokes came out.

"We still work to rescue trapped workers'', it is unknown why such statements are done. Union workers and mine professors only make assumption because they don't know about the mines".

It is seen that the loved-ones of workers are waiting.

Soma Kömür A.Ş published a condolence message.

7:20 pm (GMT+2): AKP Parliament Member of Manisa Muzaffer Yurttaş: "4 of 20 workers sent to hospital are dead, 1 gravely injured".

Republican People's Party (CHP) Parliament Member of Manisa Özgür Özel: "30 injured in various hospitals."

7:00 pm (GMT+2): Energy Ministry Taner Yıldız: "We have a serious problem, we will start rescue works and I will be there. Clean air will be provided.

Labor and Social Security Ministry also assigned 3 inspectors to investigate the explosion.

5:30 pm (GMT+2): Several TV channels broke the news that there was a mine explosion in Soma/Kavaklıdere. (BM)