Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Five Miners Die in Turkey Collapse; Negligence Probe Launched
A mine collapsed in Soma, a district in western Turkey.
Seven workers were caught in the collapse.
Two miners died and two others were taken to hospital.
Three workers were trapped underground, and rescuers found their bodies early Friday.
Five miners died in this collapse altogether.
Turkey's justice minister ordered an investigation into what happened.
Nine company executives were detained on suspicion of negligence, according to a news agency.
A union official said coal production had been falling as existing mining areas were overused, and a new section was being developed.
In a separate accident, another miner died when an unlicensed mine collapsed in Kilimli.
Five miners died after a collapse at a mine in Soma district, Manisa province.
Seven workers were initially caught in the Thursday collapse; two were rescued and taken to hospital.
Rescuers recovered the bodies of the three remaining trapped miners early Friday, ending search operations.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek ordered an investigation, and nine company executives were detained on suspicion of negligence, according to DHA.
Separately, another miner was killed Friday in a collapse at an unlicensed mine in Kilimli, according to media reports.
- Who
- Miners at a mine in Soma; a separate miner at an unlicensed mine in Kilimli.
- What
- A mine collapse in Soma killed five workers; a separate collapse in Kilimli killed another miner.
- When
- The Soma collapse occurred Thursday, with the final three bodies recovered early Friday; the Kilimli death was reported Friday.
- Where
- Soma district in Manisa province, western Turkey; the separate accident was in Kilimli on Turkey’s northwestern Black Sea coast.
- Why
- The cause of the Soma collapse is under investigation. A union official said coal production had declined as existing mining areas became over-exploited and a new section was being developed.
- Deaths in Soma collapse
- Five miners
- Workers initially caught
- Seven
- Workers taken to hospital
- Two
- Executives detained
- Nine, on suspicion of negligence
- Investigation
- Ordered by Justice Minister Akin Gurlek
- Separate Kilimli accident
- One miner killed at an unlicensed mine
- Mine location
- Soma district, Manisa province, western Turkey