The BBC World News reports Turkish coal mine disaster: Anger at PM Erdogan, where an explosion in power equipment caused a pit to collapse and a fire in a Turkish mine that has killed 270 and injured 80 miners from carbon dioxide fumes and have left 120 missing. Nearly 450 miners have been rescued.
Nearly 450 workers have been rescued, according to the mine operator. However, no survivors have been found in the last few hours and more than 100 are still unaccounted for.
Mr Erdogan has faced criticism on social media for being insensitive, after he cited numerous mining accidents throughout the world, including in Britain in the 19th Century, in defending the Turkish government's record.
People in Soma hurled abuse as they surrounded PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's car during his visit to the scene of the tragedy, and protesters clashed with police in Istanbul and Ankara. ... He was booed as he emerged from his car. ... Some arrests were made amid the scuffles and pictures showed the prime minister, surrounded by bodyguards, seeking refuge in a shop. Protesters also attacked the town's ruling AK party offices.
In Ankara, Turkey's capital police fired water canons and tear gas at about 800 protesters who were apparently angry at Turkey's long history of poor mining safety record.
Last night I reported this article by Desmond Butler and Suzan Fraser of The Associated Press report Grief, Sadness and Shock as Hundreds Perish in Turkish Coal Mine.
Rescuers desperately raced against time to reach more than 200 miners trapped underground Wednesday after an explosion and fire at a coal mine in western Turkey killed at least 201 workers, authorities said, in one of the worst mining disasters in Turkish history.
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 787 people were inside the coal mine in Soma, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Istanbul, at the time of the accident and 363 of them had been rescued so far.
In addition to 201 workers killed, at least 80 miners were injured. the deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a fire in a power distribution unit. ... Authorities say the disaster followed an explosion and fire caused by a power distribution unit.
Mining union leader Nurettin Akcul told Turkish television that this was probably the worst mining accident in Turkey' history.
"Time is working against us. We fear that the numbers could rise further," Yildiz said. "We have to finish this (rescue operation) by dawn. I have to say that our pain, our trouble could increase."
Butler and Fraser report mining accidents are common in Turkey due to poor safety conditions. Turkey needs stronger government regulations to create safer working conditions and protect workers from unsafe working conditions created by mine owners who apparently do not invest enough in worker safety.
This is he kind of world the Tea Party and Republicans apparently want to live in when they harp on the virtues of free market capitalism and rail against government regulations.
Our sympathies to the families of the miners who have died in this horrible accident. May they rest in peace. Our prayers and best wishes for the safe recovery of the miners who are still trapped in the mine.
Thank you to jwinIL14 for offering this memorial of candles to honor these miners who have died in this tragic accident.
1:09 PM PT: The Turkish Statistical Institute reports these facts:
1,308 Fatal accidents since 2000
263 Died in worst mining disaster in 1992
13,000 Miners involved in accidents in 2013
10.4% Of all work-related accidents last year
Turkey needs stronger government mining and worker safety regulations. They should look at our Occupational Safety and Health Administration as an example. Our our Republicans and Tea Party politicians, like Senator Rand Paul, who like to wave copies of Atlas Shrugged in our faces should take a look at the kinds of accidents that used to happen regularly in countries before we tightened mine safety regulations.
When it come to mine safety, government regulations are good.