Explosion at coal mine in Turkey kills two, leaves one trapped

Deadly Blast at Coal Mine in Northwestern Turkey

Usagevpn.com – Two miners have died after an explosion at a coal mine in Gelik, a town in northwestern Turkey, while rescue teams continue efforts to bring out another worker who remains underground.

The incident occurred at about 10 a.m. on Friday and left five people injured. Two of those rescued were reported to be in serious condition after suffering burns. One critically injured miner has been taken to Ankara for specialist treatment, while arrangements are being made to transfer the second seriously injured worker as well.

Authorities said the explosion was linked to firedamp, a term used for flammable gas that can accumulate in underground coal operations. Such gases can create severe risks when they ignite, particularly in enclosed tunnel environments.

Rescue operation continues

Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacibektasoglu said eight people had been inside the tunnel when the blast took place. Seven were brought out of the mine, but two later died after being transported to hospital.

“Eight people were in the tunnel, seven were rescued. Unfortunately, two of our miners died after being taken to hospital,” Osman Hacibektasoglu said.

Emergency personnel remain focused on reaching the miner still inside the site. Contact has been established with the trapped worker, offering rescuers an important indication that evacuation efforts are continuing.

“One of the miners is still inside the mine. We have made contact with him and are trying to get him out,” the governor added.

Teams from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, known as AFAD, were sent to the mine after an emergency call. Medical crews and firefighters also deployed to the area as the response began.

Private mine under investigation

The explosion happened at a privately operated mine owned by Demir Madencilik. Officials have opened an investigation to establish the precise circumstances behind the blast and determine how the firedamp ignited.

The inquiry is expected to examine conditions underground at the time of the incident, as well as the sequence of events that followed the explosion. The immediate priority, however, remains the safe extraction of the miner who has not yet been brought to the surface and the treatment of those injured.

Coal mining involves particular hazards because workers operate in confined underground spaces where gas, dust, unstable rock and limited escape routes can quickly turn an emergency into a life-threatening situation. Firedamp is especially dangerous because it can build up without being visible and can ignite if exposed to an ignition source.

The Gelik disaster has again drawn attention to the continuing dangers faced by mine workers in Turkey. Fatal industrial incidents in the sector have occurred repeatedly over the years, with cave-ins and suffocation among the most common causes of death.

A wider record of mining accidents

Earlier in October, five people were killed when a coal mine collapsed in Soma, in Manisa province in western Turkey. That accident underscored the vulnerability of workers in an industry where emergencies can require complex and time-sensitive rescue operations.

The independent Worker Health and Work Safety Assembly, or ISIG, said that 1,267 miners died in workplace accidents in Turkey between 2013 and 2025. Its figures identify cave-ins and suffocation incidents as the leading causes in many of those cases.

For communities built around mining, such accidents affect far more than the workers directly involved. Families often wait for updates with limited information during rescue operations, while colleagues and emergency crews work under difficult conditions to locate those still underground. The deaths in Gelik will add to concerns about workplace safety and emergency preparedness in the country’s coal sector.

Officials have not released further details about the conditions inside the mine or a timeline for bringing out the trapped miner. Rescue personnel remain at the scene as the investigation and emergency response proceed.