Five workers have died following a collapse at a mine in Soma, in Manisa province in western Turkey, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). A total of seven miners were brought out of the mine, two of them alive. One of those rescued remains in hospital, while the second has been discharged.

The Manisa provincial authorities had earlier announced that three bodies had been located and that the search operations had been completed, before AFAD announced the final death toll of five. Following the collapse, a crisis management center was established under the coordination of the Manisa provincial authorities, who announced the immediate mobilisation of the relevant services.

Condolences were expressed by Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, ministers, and representatives of the Presidency and the ruling party. Family Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said that psychosocial support teams were at the mine and the hospital, alongside the workers and their families.

The 2014 tragedy

Soma, in Manisa province in western Turkey, remains associated with the country’s deadliest mining disaster. On 13 May 2014, a fire at the coal mine killed 301 workers, mainly as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The disaster shocked Turkey and triggered protests over working conditions and safety measures in mines. An expert report submitted to the prosecutor’s office concluded that the tragedy could have been prevented and highlighted serious deficiencies in worker protection.