At least 70 miners have been killed in an
underground explosion and fire in western
Turkey.
More than 200 others remain trapped in shafts
and tunnels up to 4km (2.5 miles) from the
nearest exit following the blast at a mine in
Soma.
There are conflicting reports about the number
of casualties, although Turkey's disaster
management agency AFAD said 70 workers are
known to have died.
Television footage showed people cheering and
applauding as at least 11 trapped miners,
many of them coughing and covered in dust,
were pulled out alive.
The accident happened when a power
distribution unit exploded around 2km (1.2
miles) below the ground, Nurettin Akcul, head
of the Turkish Mineworkers' Union, said.
It is thought the explosion happened during a
change of shifts, leading to confusion over the
exact number of workers still inside.
Fresh air is being pumped into the mine to
help stranded workers who may be struggling
to breathe.
In a statement, the mine's owners, Soma
Komur, described the explosion as a "tragic
accident" which happened "despite maximum
safety measures and inspections".
According to Turkey's ministry of labour, the
complex was last inspected on March 17 and
was found to be compliant with safety
regulations.
Mining accidents are not unheard of in Turkey,
where workers sometimes endure poor safety
conditions.
The country's worst mining disaster was in
1992, when a gas explosion killed 270 workers
near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.
