3 Workers Lose Their Lives in Explosion in Mine in Zonguldak

* Photograph: Ferdi Akıllı - Zonguldak / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

The deceased bodies of three workers Kenan Çavuş, Hasan Gençtürk and Uğur Göktaş, who were trapped inside a privately owned mine in the district of Kilimli in Zonguldak after an explosion that took place today (November 21), have been evacuated from the mine.

After the explosion that occurred at 3 a.m. today, two workers were rescued while three workers were trapped in the mine.

Making a statement regarding the incident, Governor of Zonguldak Erdoğan Bektaş said, "We have no hope that the trapped workers are still alive."

As reported by Zonguldak Pusula local news website, the evacuation teams that went to the scene of incident had to pause their search and rescue operations due to the high level of methane gas that accumulated inside the mine after the explosion.

After the methane gas was removed from the mine with the help of ventilation fans, the rescue works started again and the evacuation teams could reach the deceased bodies in the afternoon. (EKN/SD)