Explosion at Coal Mine in Turkey Kills Two, Injures Five, Leaves One Trapped
An explosion at a coal mine in northwestern Turkey has killed at least two miners and injured five others, two of them seriously. Local media reported on Friday that one other miner remains trapped inside the mine.
The explosion occurred at a mine in the town of Gelik. Local authorities said the blast was caused by 'firedamp', or flammable gas.
Zonguldak governor Osman Hacibektasoglu said: 'Eight people were in the tunnel, seven were rescued. Unfortunately, two of our miners died after being taken to hospital.'
Two of the five injured suffered burns and are in serious condition. One of the critically injured miners has been transferred to Ankara and preparations are under way to transfer the second miner.
The governor added: 'One of the miners is still inside the mine. We have made contact with him and are trying to get him out.' Bringing the trapped miner out alive is now the centre of the operation.
The blast occurred at around 10 in the morning. After an emergency call, teams from the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), as well as medical and fire crews, were dispatched to the site.
According to local newspaper Pusula, the explosion took place at a private mine owned by Demir Madencilik. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact cause of the blast.
Mine accidents are not uncommon in Turkey. Earlier this month, five people were killed in a coal mine collapse in Soma, Manisa in western Turkey.
The independent monitoring group Worker Health and Work Safety Assembly, or ISIG, reported that 1,267 miners were killed in workplace accidents between 2013 and 2025, mostly from incidents of cave-ins and suffocation.
Against that long toll, the Gelik explosion has brought old questions about mine safety back to the fore. The investigation will examine how effective gas monitoring and safety measures were at the private mine.
Rescuers are maintaining contact with the trapped miner while trying to bring him out. All eyes are now on his condition and the progress of the rescue.
Once the investigation ends, the cause of the explosion will be known officially. Until then, grief for the two dead miners and waiting for a trapped colleague remain the reality of the Gelik mining area.
