Soma mine disaster
2014 mine fire in Turkey / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Soma mine disaster?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
On 13 May 2014, blasting[3] at Eynez coal mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, caused an underground mine fire, which burned until 15 May.[4][5] In total, 301 people were killed in what was the worst mine disaster in Turkey's history. The mine, operated by coal producer Soma Kömür İşletmeleri A.Ş., suffered a fire, the causes of which were later found to be complex.[6][7][3] The fire occurred at the mine's shift change, and 787 workers were underground at the time. At the time the disaster was thought to be mainly an explosion rather than fire.[3] After the final bodies were pulled from the mine on 17 May 2014, four days after the fire, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız confirmed the number of dead was 301.[8] Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced the names of 301 workers who died in the mine disaster[9] and 486 people who survived.[10][11]
Date | 13 May 2014 (2014-05-13) |
---|---|
Location | Eynez coal mine, Soma, Manisa, Turkey |
Coordinates | 39°4′38″N 27°31′31″E |
Cause | Fire |
Outcome | 301 dead, 486 survivors, 18 arrested. |
Deaths | 301[1] |
Non-fatal injuries | 80+[2] |
Miners protested against dangerous mining conditions in late 2013 and the demand by the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, to investigate the mine's safety was rejected in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with votes from the ruling Justice and Development Party only weeks before the disaster.[12][13]
An official expert report was published in 2016 which found several causes of the disaster, including inadequate official inspections.[14]