Death toll rises to 40 in mine blast in Turkey

ANKARA (TURKEY): The death toll rose to 40 in an underground coal mine explosion in the northern Bartin province of Turkey that trapped 110 workers, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

The Minister confirmed that 110 workers were in the mine when the explosion occured 300 metre below ground on Friday evening in the town of Amasra, Xinhua news agency reported.

Among them, 58 later managed to get out on their own, 11 others were injured and hospitalised, and the status of one remaining miner was unclear, he told reporters on Saturday.

The explosion occurred at 6:15 p.m. local time at the Amasra Hard Coal Enterprise, Bartin province said in a statement on Friday.

Preliminary findings indicated that the blast was likely caused by firedamp, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez.

The fire in the gallery was largely under control, he said, noting "all search and rescue teams are on duty".

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was travelling to the scene.

In 2014, as many as 301 people died in Turkey's worst mine disaster in a fire inside a coal mine in Soma town of western Manisa province.