Police use water cannon on protesters as negligence denied in Turkey mine fire
Turkey's government and the company operating the colliery in which at least 299 miners lost their lives deny negligence as riot police train water cannon and rubber bullets on protesters
Government and company officials denied on Friday that negligence caused Turkey’s worst mining disaster, as opposition lawmakers raised questions about oversight and a survivor said safety inspectors never visited the lower reaches of the mine.
Anger continued to surge in the wake of the coal mine inferno in the western town of Soma that has killed at least 299 miners. On Friday, police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse rock-throwing protesters in Soma, where about 1,500 demonstrators urged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to resign.
In Istanbul, police forcefully broke up a crowd of about 150 people who lit candles and lined up mining helmets on the ground to honour the victims of the disaster, the DHA news agency reported.
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said at least 299 people died in Tuesday’s tragedy. Another two or three people are believed to be missing underground while 485 miners escaped or were rescued.
Protesting workers have described the disaster as murder, not an accident, because of what they call flawed safety conditions at that mine and others in the country.
Erdal Bicak, 24, said he had just ended his shift on Tuesday and was making his way to the surface when mine managers ordered him back down because of a problem.