Turkish Mine That Killed 301 Resumes Work

A coal mine in western Turkey where 301 miners lost their lives in a tragic accident in May of this year has resumed operations, while top officials responsible for the mine's conditions have kept their jobs, the media reported on Wednesday.

On May 13, Turkey was shocked by an explosion and blaze at a coal mine in Soma, a town in western Manisa province, that killed 301 workers and injured scores of others. A fire starting in the mine rapidly depleted oxygen in the shaft, causing hundreds of miners to die of carbon monoxide poisoning. Turkey's labor minister, Faruk Çelik, was criticized for not taking responsibility and resigning after the deadly accident.

A total of 1,700 mine workers headed to the Soma mine after operating company Soma Kömür İşletmeleri A.Ş. (Soma Coal Mining Industries) said it had received approval from the authorities to resume work.

The head of the local branch of mine workers' union Maden-İş has resigned, but not a single government official has accepted any blame, though evidence indicates that it does bear responsibility in the accident, as many experts say the tragedy only occurred because of a relaxation of work safety rules intended to increase investment.

Although workplace safety conditions have been hotly debated since the blast in Soma, it is a fact that job accidents happen very frequently in Turkey. An expert report on the disaster revealed last month that the necessary safety measures were not taken to prevent the disaster. Observers have said they are concerned about future risks to workers' lives due to poor safety measures, though the mine operator and government officials state that all necessary measures have been taken in Soma.

The mine, though operated by Soma Kömür İşletmelerli A.Ş., is owned by the state-run Turkish Coal Enterprises (TKİ). The service procurement system allowing companies such as Soma Kömür İşletmelerli A.Ş. to operate state-owned mines was introduced by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in 2013.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)