Coal mine blast in Turkiye leaves 25 dead

ANKARA: The death toll from the explosion at a coal mine in the province of Bartin in northern Turkiye has gone up to 25, according to local authorities.

"The death toll is 25 people," Sputnik quoted the Bartin authorities as saying on social media.

Late on Friday night, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that 22 people died and 17 others were injured as a result of the explosion that took place at the Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine.

"We lost 22 of our citizens in the explosion that took place in a mine in Bartin... We are doing our best to ensure that the injured recover as soon as possible," Koca said on social media.

Earlier on Friday, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that 14 people were killed by the blast in the town of Amasra.

The TRT Haber TV channel reported that 19 people were hospitalized after the explosion. According to Haber, there were 115 workers underground, at a depth of 300 metres (984 feet), when the explosion occurred. Some workers have been evacuated.

According to Turkish media reports, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to visit the site of the accident on Saturday.

-- BERNAMA