Twenty-eight found dead in Turkish mine

Last Thursday, rescuers found the bodies of twenty-eight workers in a coal mine in northern Turkey, and two workers are still missing. The workers were trapped last Monday after a mysterious explosion at the mine near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak. Workers were trapped 540 meters underground, and it is believed that they died from carbon monoxide poisoning after the explosion. Abdullah Gul, the Turkish President, has called for an investigation into what caused the explosion. Relatives of the victims have been gathered in a vigil near the entrance to the mine, in a town that relies on the low-paying jobs to get by, and where most families have at least one member that works in the coal mines. The mine is state-owned, but the workers who died were from a private company that was working on a specific job. In light of this catastrophe in Zonguldak, Turkish labor unions are now questioning the safety standards of these private contractors, and have called for the ceasing of hiring them. This is the third major accident to happen in Turkish mines in six months.

Submitted by: Katie Kregor