National mourning announced in Turkey after mine disaster

A coal mine explosion in Soma district of Manisa province in western Turkey left trapped hundreds of miners in the afternoon of Tuesday. The lifeless bodies of 201 workers were taken out of the mine by Wednesday morning. The death toll was confirmed by Energy Minister Taner Yıldız at around 5am on the morning following the disaster.

A national mourning of 3-day-long was announced by the country’s Prime Ministry following the disaster.

There are about 400 more miners assumed to be still trapped in the mine, according to a worker who survived the blast.