300 Trapped in Turkish Coal Mine

A coal-mine fire in Turkey’s western province of Manisa has reportedly killed 20 people and left as many as 300 trapped. The fire started during a change in shifts, which is why there is some uncertainty over exactly how many people are trapped. A local parliament member told broadcaster NTV that 20 bodies had been pulled from the mine and that the victims had suffered from suffocation and burns. Tamer Kucukgencay, chairman of the regional labor union, told Reuters: “They are pumping oxygen into the mine, but the fire is still burning. They say it is an electrical fault but it could be that coal is burning as well.”