Search for trapped Turkish miners enters sixth day

KARAMAN

DHA Photo

Efforts to retrieve 18 workers trapped in a Karaman mine have entered the sixth day as the energy minister avoided giving an exact deadline as to when the teams would reach the miners.

Three quarters of the water which filled the gallery after a flood have been drained, but there are still 25 meters more to go, representing a total of 2,500 tons of water, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız told reporters Nov. 2 at the scene. The predictions might not be exact because it is unclear how much of the matter consists of mud, he added.

Early on Nov. 2, journalists were pushed to 300 meters away from the entrance of the mine, prompting rumors that teams had reached miners and would be retrieved from the mine. However, Yıldız said the reporters were asked to move away upon a request from the relatives of the trapped workers.

Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Lütfi Elvan and Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik also remained in the area to monitor the situation.

Those taking part in the rescue efforts said an intense buildup of gas in the mine also needs to be removed amid the water drainage operations, Doğan News Agency reported.

The miners have been trapped underground since Oct. 28 after a flood in the mine run by Has Şekerler company in the southern Anatolian province.