At least three miners have died and another five have been injured in a methane gas explosion that occurred on 23 October at a private coal mine in Zonguldak, in northern Turkey, after rescue teams recovered the body of the last worker trapped underground in the last few hours.
The explosion occurred at around 10.00 this morning at a mine in the town of Gelik, in the Kilimli district, according to reports from Turkish media. After being alerted, numerous firefighters, personnel from the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the gendarmerie and rescue teams from the Turkish Coal Corporation were dispatched to the scene.
Although seven workers were initially rescued, two of the miners died, whilst the other five were taken by ambulance to a hospital, where they were admitted for treatment. The Turkish press reports that two of the injured are in a critical condition. The body of another worker at the mine was subsequently found.
The Governor’s Office of Zonguldak issued a statement confirming that the accident was caused by a methane gas explosion: “On Friday, 23 October 2026, at around 10.00 am, a methane gas explosion occurred at a privately-owned mine operating in the town of Gelik, in the Kilimli district of our province. Following the explosion, AFAD, UMKE, the rescue teams of the Turkish Coal Corporation (TTK) and gendarmerie units were immediately dispatched to the area and began search and rescue operations”.
“Of the eight miners who were in the mine at the time of the accident, five were rescued with injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospital. Search and rescue operations have concluded and it has been established that three miners have lost their lives. We express our condolences and offer our prayers for the deceased miners… A judicial and administrative investigation into the incident has been launched,” the official statement added.
Two of the injured miners have suffered severe burns
The governor of Zonguldak, Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu, spoke personally to journalists outside the hospital where the injured have been admitted and confirmed the seriousness of the mining accident, as well as the alarming condition of two of the workers.
“Four of the injured are currently at Atatürk Public Hospital. Three of the injured are in a stable condition. Two of the miners were intubated due to their burns. We wish them a speedy recovery.” Hacıbektaşoğlu then told the press that, in addition to the seven initially rescued, there was an eighth miner inside the mine whom the rescue teams were attempting to extract, and that his condition was unknown, although it was later confirmed that he was among the fatalities.
For his part, Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, announced the launch of a wide-ranging investigation into the accident, for which a deputy chief prosecutor and two prosecutors had been appointed; they are to determine who was responsible for the incident and whether there was negligence on the part of the mining company.
Firedamp is an explosive mixture of methane and air that commonly accumulates in underground coal mines and can ignite upon contact with a spark or another source of ignition, such as a lamp, causing an explosion capable of devastating the underground tunnels of a mine.
Turkey has a worrying record of mining accidents
Mining accidents in Turkey are, unfortunately, quite frequent and have been a serious problem in the country for many years; Turkey has one of the worst records in the world when it comes to workplace safety in the mining sector.
This is largely attributed to the lack of strict regulations, insufficient inspections, the privatisation of many mines – which are often very small and lack adequate resources – and the pressure on workers to meet production targets. Another serious problem compounding all these factors is the proliferation of illegal mines in many parts of the country, where there are virtually no safety measures in place.
In the last year alone, several serious accidents have been recorded. The most significant occurred just a few weeks ago, on 1 October, when a collapse at a private coal mine in Soma, in the province of Manisa, claimed the lives of five miners.
It is estimated that, in the last five years alone, between 300 and 400 miners have died in Turkey. Furthermore, according to accident data compiled from mines in Turkey between 2013 and early 2026, it is estimated that the Eurasian country recorded a total of 1,267 deaths of miners.
The most serious accident since the start of this decade took place in October 2022, when a violent coal gas explosion in a state-owned mine in Amasra, on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, claimed the lives of 42 miners. However, the worst mining tragedy in Turkey’s history occurred in 2014 in the town of Soma, in western Turkey, when an explosion triggered a fire – which raged for several days – coinciding with a shift change resulting in the deaths of 301 miners, in what is known as the Soma mining disaster.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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