TRAGEDY

Turkey Death Toll Hits 282

Nationwide strike called by workers.

The death toll for Turkey’s deadliest mine accident is now at 282 confirmed dead, and no one has been found alive for the past 12 hours. Roughly 150 miners are still unaccounted for. The victims died in an underground fire that is believed to have started after an explosion in the power distribution unit. Just two weeks ago, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s party opposed pleas for a probe of safety practices at the Soma mines. Meanwhile, labor unions across the country are calling for strikes to get better work conditions. When Erdogan visited Soma on Wednesday, he was jeered by the crowd, and a photo caught a man identified as one of his senior aides kicking a demonstrator.