Jump to content

Soma mine disaster

Coordinates: 39°4′37.90″N 27°31′30.93″E / 39.0771944°N 27.5252583°E / 39.0771944; 27.5252583
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Maurice07 (talk | contribs) at 13:12, 15 May 2014 (İnfobox cause.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Soma mine disaster
Date13 May 2014 (2014-05-13)
LocationSoma, Manisa, Turkey
Coordinates39°4′37.90″N 27°31′30.93″E / 39.0771944°N 27.5252583°E / 39.0771944; 27.5252583
CauseExplosion and fire
Deaths282+[1]
Non-fatal injuries80+ (20+ search and rescue team members)[2]
Soma coal mine is located in Turkey
Soma coal mine
Soma coal mine
class=notpageimage|
Location of the coal mine

The Soma mine disaster (Template:Lang-tr) is an underground mine fire at a coal mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey which is the worst mine disaster in Turkey's history.[1] The fire began on 13 May 2014 at a mine owned by coal producer Soma Kömür İşletmeleri A.Ş. The fire was started by an explosion suspected to have been caused by electrical equipment, an explanation much doubted by some.[who?][3] Because the fire occurred at the mine's shift change, the exact number of miners underground at the time is unknown; the number of trapped workers could be as high as 800.[4] Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız announced the number of dead was 282 as of 08:15 (EEST) on 15 May 2014.[5] 120 workers are said to be still inside, with rescue work ongoing.[5]

Miners protested dangerous mining conditions in late 2013, and the ruling Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rejected a demand to investigate the mine's safety only weeks before the disaster.[6][7]

Background

Mining accidents are common in Turkey, which has poor safety conditions.[6] Official statistics record more than 3,000 coal miners having died in mining accidents since 1941. In 2012, 78 miners died in accidents, and 95 died in 2013. Prior to the Soma disaster, the deadliest accident in recent Turkish mining history had occurred in 1992, when an explosion killed 263 people. [8]

In November 2013, hundreds of coal miners protested working conditions by barricading themselves in a mine in Zonguldak.[6]

On April 29, 2014, Republican People’s Party's demand for a parliamentary investigation regarding the safety in Soma mines was rejected by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party parliamentarians.[9][7][10]

Explosion and fire

The fire was started by an explosion that occurred 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) below the surface; it caused the mine's elevator to stop working.[11] The explosion killed at least 245 workers and injured another 75 and trapped nearly 600 workers in the mine. Evacuations have taken place, but between 200 and 300 people remain trapped underground;[12][13] some are as far as 4 km (2.5 mi) from the entrance to the mine.[6] Because the explosion occurred close to shift change, the exact number of employees underground at the time is uncertain,[12] but there could have been as many as 800.[6] Most of the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning.[14] A 15-year-old mine worker among dead persons was believed to be working under illegal conditions.[15][16]

Rescue effort

Rescue crews are on site at the mine and are providing fresh air to the mine workings in an effort to keep those workers still trapped underground alive. Four mine rescue teams were deployed underground to look for trapped miners;[6] however, thick smoke was hindering progress in the operations to rescue more workers from the mine.[4]

Reactions

Domestic

  • The Turkish government announced 3 days of national mourning for the Soma coal mining victims.[17]
  • Presidency of Religious Affairs announces that prayer will be held for Soma on following Friday in all mosques in Turkey.[18]
  • Youth week activities scheduled to take place on May 19 at the festival was canceled by Ministry of Youth and Sports.[19]
  • The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announces that competitions in all amateur and professional leagues scheduled to play on May 14 and 15 have been postponed to a later date.[20]
  • Soma Kömür İşletmeleri A.Ş., the mine owner, replaced its website with a black page, a message of condolences for those affected by the fire.[21]
  • Regarding the mining disaster, investigation was initiated by the Office of the Prosecutor in Manisa.[22]
  • Around 800 protesters hurled stones at the police and shouted anti-government slogans as they tried to march from a university to the energy ministry in Ankara. Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered outside the headquarters of the company which owns the mine, Soma Holding, in Istanbul. Some had sprayed "Murderers" on the walls. [23]. During protests in Soma, prime minister Erdogan's aide Yusuf Yerkel was seen kicking a protester lying on the ground[24].
  • Hundreds of family members in the town of Soma, Manisa (15 kilometers from the mine) surrounded and attacked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip's car. Afterwards they chased him through the city, at which point he had to flee to a shop, while rocks were thrown and people shouted "murderer" and "thief."[25][26]
  • KESK, one of the principal trade union confederations in Turkey, called for a one-day general strike for Thursday, 15 May, citing privatisation as the cause of the disaster.[27]
  • Thousands of protestors also gathered in Artvin, Bursa, Edirne, Eskişehir,Giresun, İzmir, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Muğla, and Tekirdağ. All of the protests have been repelled by police teams with tear gas and water cannons.[28][29]

International

International organizations

Others

Beşiktaş J.K., Fenerbahçe S.K., and Galatasaray S.K. from Turkey,[39] Chelsea F.C., Liverpool F.C., and Sheffield United from England,[40] FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid from Spain,[41] Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund from Germany, and FC Porto from Portugal[42] have published messages of condolence about the disaster. Beşiktaş announced that all revenue of the match to be played the following weekend will be donated to the needy in Soma.[43]

References

  1. ^ a b "Turkish mine disaster: Unions call protest strike". BBC News. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Turkey coal mine disaster: Desperate search at Soma pit". BBC News. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  3. ^ http://www.internethaber.com/trafo-patlamasi-imkansiz-ya-yalan-soyluyorlar-ya-da...-672303h.htm
  4. ^ a b "Turkey coalmine collapse in Manisa kills at least 151 and traps hundreds underground". ABC News. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Faciada son bilanço: 282 ölü". ntvmsnbc. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Ensor, Josy (13 May 2014). "Hundreds of miners trapped after explosion in Turkish coal mine". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  7. ^ a b Saul, Heather (14 May 2014). "Turkey coal mine explosion: Protests erupt in Soma after PM claims 'explosions like these happen all the time'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  8. ^ Peker, Emre (14 May 2014). "Turkey Coal Mine Explosion Kills More Than 200". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  9. ^ Murat Yetkin (14 May 2014). "Analysis: Gov't ignored warnings, miners paid the bill with their lives". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Grim news underground". The Economist. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Over 17 killed and 200 trapped in Turkish coal mine explosion". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  12. ^ a b Humeyra, Pamuk; Coskun, Orhan (13 May 2014). "UPDATE 3-Turkish coal mine explosion kills 17, over 200 trapped inside". Reuters. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  13. ^ Sherrard, Chris (13 May 2014). "157 miners killed and hundreds trapped after massive explosion in Turkey coal mine". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  14. ^ "Turkey orders 3 day mourning for Soma mine disaster victims". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  15. ^ "Çocuk işçiler yönetmelikle geldi". Hürriyet. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Bakan'dan 'Soma'da çocuk işçi çalıştırılıyor' iddiasına yanıt". Habertürk. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  17. ^ "Milli Yas İlanı". Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Başbakanlık. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  18. ^ "Cuma günü tüm Yurtta namaz sonrası Soma için dua edilecek..." Presidency of Religious Affairs. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  19. ^ "Acımız Büyük". Ministry of Youth and Sports (Turkey). 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  20. ^ "TFF'den Duyuru". The Turkish Football Federation (TFF). 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  21. ^ Brumfield, Ben; Kayali,Talia; Watson, Ivan (14 May 2014). "Officials dash hopes of survival after mine fire kills 205 in Turkey". CNN. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  22. ^ "Ülkeyi yasa boğan faciayla ilgili harekete geçildi". Samanyolu Haber. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  23. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27406195
  24. ^ "Turkish mine disaster: Unions hold protest strike". BBC News. BBC. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  25. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27415813
  26. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27415296
  27. ^ "Turkish union calls strike over mine safety as hopes fade in Soma disaster". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  28. ^ http://www.dha.com.tr/tum-turkiye-soma-icin-tek-yurek_671881.html
  29. ^ http://www.dha.com.tr/soma-protestolarina-polis-mudahalesi_671938.html
  30. ^ "Türkiyə Respublikasının Prezidenti Zati-aliləri cənab Abdullah Gülə". The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  31. ^ "Pope Francis: Pray for victims of Turkish mining disaster". Offical Vatican Network. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  32. ^ "The #Israeli missions in #Turkey bow their heads in sorrow at the tragic loss of life in #Soma". The Israeli consulate in Istanbul. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  33. ^ Ravid, Barak (14 May 2014). "Israel offers to help Turkey with coal mine disaster - Diplomacy and Defense Israel News". Haaretz. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  34. ^ "World sends condolences to Turkey after Soma mine blast". Today's Zaman. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  35. ^ "Condolence Messages From Around the World For Soma". TRT. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  36. ^ "Soma için dünyadan taziye mesajı yağıyor". Radikal. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  37. ^ a b "World leaders offer condolences to Soma victims". Hurriyet Daily News. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  38. ^ "Ricciardone: Gönlümüzün en derin yerindeler". ntvmsnbc. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  39. ^ "Süper Lig ekiplerinden Soma mesajı". Milliyet Skorer. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  40. ^ "Chelsea'den Soma mesajı". Radikal. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  41. ^ "Arda Turan y el Atlético de Madrid se suman al dolor de las víctimas del accidente minero de Soma". Club Atlético de Madrid. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  42. ^ "O FC Porto solidariza-se com o povo turco após a tragédia na mina de Manisa. Estamos convosco". Futebol Clube do Porto. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  43. ^ "Kartal'dan Soma için destek". ntvmsnbc. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soma_mine_disaster&oldid=608684923"