Strike call in Turkey as mine blast toll rises to 274

Soma is a key centre for lignite coal mining and is located around 480 kilometres (300 miles) southwest of Istanbul. AFP news agency (Agence France-Presse) Photographers take photos of a man in a wheelchair as Turkish riot police use water cannon to disperse protesters during a demonstration in memory of the victims of the Soma mine explosion. Anger was growing across Turkey as hopes faded for scores of workers trapped in a collapsed mine and the death toll hit 274. AFP Photo: Ozan Kose Latest story: http://u.afp.com/A3u ========================== . AFPBy Philippe Alfroy and Fulya Ozerkan in Istanbul | AFP – 22 hours ago.. Photographers takes pictures of a man in a wheelchair as Turkish riot police use water cannon to disperse protesters during a demonstration in memory of the victims of the Soma mine explosion, in Istanbul on May 14, 2014 View Photo . Photographers takes pictures of a man in a wheelchair as Turkish riot police use … .Turkish police arrest a protester in Ankara on May 14, 2014 during a demonstration after more than 200 people were killed in an explosion at a mine View Photo . Turkish police arrest a protester in Ankara on May 14, 2014 during a demonstration … .Protestors run away from tear gas during a protest on Istiklal avenue in Istanbul on May 14, 2014 View Photo . Protestors run away from tear gas during a protest on Istiklal avenue in Istanbul … .Protestors paint their faces as miners and a hold a newspaper at Istiklal Avenue on May 14, 2014 in Istanbul View Photo . Protestors paint their faces as miners and a hold a newspaper at Istiklal Avenue … Turkey's biggest union has called for a massive strike Thursday amid mounting anger over the country's worst mining accident, which claimed at least 274 lives with many more still trapped underground. "Those who keep up with privatisation... policies, who threaten workers' lives to reduce costs... are the culprits of the Soma massacre and they must be held accountable," Turkey's Public Workers Unions Confederation (KESK), which represents 240,000 employees, said on its website. Desperation and anger were rising as hopes fell for scores of workers still trapped in the collapsed coal mine in the western town of Soma in Manisa province. Thousands of protesters clashed with police in Ankara and Istanbul Wednesday, accusing the government and mining industry of negligence. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised investigations would be launched into the causes of the disaster but rejected claims of government culpability, saying that "such accidents happen". "We have witnessed one of the biggest work accidents in our recent history," Erdogan said after visiting the mine in the western town of Soma in Manisa province, where grieving relatives of the victims were calling for his resignation. - An electrical fault - Erdogan said figures remained uncertain but mining operators thought 120 workers were still trapped following an explosion Tuesday, caused by an electrical fault. Reports from rescue workers on the scene suggest the figure could be far higher. Most of the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning. He also appeared to downplay the seriousness of the accident, comparing it to other mining disasters elsewhere, saying "204 people died in the UK in 1862 and 361 people in 1864". An electrical fault is believed to have set off a huge explosion in the mine on Tuesday. Hundreds of distraught family and friends gathered near the building where Erdogan gave his press conference were outraged, with some kicking his vehicle. Public anger also spilled onto the streets. Police used tear gas and water canon to disperse between 3,000 and 4,000 protesters in Ankara's downtown Kizilay Square, as well as thousands of demonstrators in Istanbul. Earlier in the day, they also used tear gas against around 800 students marching on the energy ministry, and 50 protesters who threw eggs at the mining research directorate in Istanbul, AFP photographers reported. The disaster has added to the political pressure on Erdogan, who faced mass protests last summer and a huge corruption scandal involving his family and key allies in recent months. "If the claims of negligence at the mine prove true, it will have a political price. Such a development would render corruption allegations targeting Erdogan's government more convincing," Professor Ilter Turan of Istanbul's Bilgi University told AFP. - 'No more hope' - Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 274 workers had been confirmed dead but raging fires were hampering efforts by rescue workers still battling to find survivors. "Time is not working in our favour," he told reporters, adding that 196 bodies had been delivered to families. A miner from a different site who joined the effort, Murat Kurkoglu, told AFP: "We will try to save those who are still stuck one by one, but you know very well that there is no more hope. It's finished for them." Earlier reports said 787 workers were underground when the blast occurred. By late Wednesday, "close to 450" workers had been rescued, according to the mine operator, Soma Komur Inc, but accounts from rescue workers cast doubt over the numbers. "There are pockets of air, but it's only a glimmer of hope because so far... it's mostly the dead that we are bringing out," Erdem Bakin, a doctor with the Search and Rescue organisation, told AFP. "We don't go more than 100 metres from the bottom of the mine. It's impossible to go right to the bottom because of the risk of asphyxiation from the gas." Bakin said they found the transformer that exploded, triggering the collapse. Those between the transformer and the entrance of the mine -- around 70-80 people -- survived. "But those who were beyond were taken by the fire and they are all dead," he said. Harun Unzar, a miner at the site, said: "We are a family and today that family is devastated. We have had very little news and when it does come it's very bad." - 'Tired of funerals' - Explosions and cave-ins are common in Turkey, particularly in private mines, where safety regulations are often flouted. Turkey's previous worst mining accident happened in 1992 when 263 workers were killed in a gas explosion in a mine in Zonguldak. A lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said it submitted a parliamentary motion 20 days ago to investigate work-related accidents at coal mines in Soma but it was rejected by the government. The CHP's Manisa deputy Ozgur Ozel told local media: "We receive tip-offs every day that workers' lives are under threat. "We lawmakers from Manisa are tired of going to miner funerals." Turkey's ministry of labour and social security said the mine had been inspected eight times in the last four years, most recently on March 17, and was found to comply with safety regulations.

But Oktay Berrin, a miner, said: "There is no security in this mine. The unions are just puppets and our management only cares about money."

Mining company Soma Komur said it had taken maximum measures to ensure safety. ============================ سائنس/صحت مزید خبریں سادہ و زود ہضم غذا کھائیں اور عمر بڑھائیں کھانا گیس پر پکائیں مگر احتیاط لازم غیر ضروری کولیسٹرول کو کم کرنے والی 6 غذائیں کالی مرچ کا استعمال، کئی بیماریوں کے لئے شفا نیند کی کمی کئی دماغی بیماریوں کا سبب بنتی ہے، تحقیق Pages: 1 2 … 42 تازہ ترین سلائیڈ شوز پی ٹی آئی اور پی اے ٹی کے کارکنان کی گرفتاری اور احتجاج سیلاب کی تباہ کاریاں لاہور میں مسجد کی چھت نمازیوں پر آگری قوم اپنے شہدا کو بھولی نہیں ۔۔۔ زمین کی گرین ہاؤس گیسوں کو جذب کرنے کی صلاحیت ختم ہوچکی ہے، سائنسدانوں کا انکشاف ویب ڈیسک منگل 9 ستمبر 2014 تبصرے صفحہ شیئر کریں صفحہ پرنٹ کریں دوستوں کو بھیجئے کاربن ڈائی آکسائیڈ اور دیگر گرین ہاوس گیسز میں 2013 میں ریکارڈ اضافہ ہوا ہے،سائنسدان فوٹو فائل نیو یارک: ماہرین موسمیات اور سائنسدانوں نے انکشاف کیا ہے کہ گزشتہ 30 سال میں کاربن ڈائی آکسائید کے اخراج میں تیزی سے اضافے کے باعث ماحول میں گرین ہاؤس گیسزکی سطح میں غیر معمولی اضافہ ہوا ہے جبکہ زمین ان گیسوں کو اپنے اندر جذب کرنے کی صلاحیت بھی کھو بیٹھی ہے۔ عالمی موسمیات کی تنظیم کے جنرل سیکریٹری مائیکل جراڈ نے واضح کیا ہے کہ 1984 سے لے کر اب تک 2013 میں سب سے زیادہ گرین ہاؤس گیسز کی سطح میں اضافہ ہوا ہے جب کہ دوسرے لفظوں میں کہا جائے تو ہماری فضا میں زہریلی گیسوں نے ڈیرے جما لیے ہیں۔ ان کا کہنا تھا کہ اس میں کوئی شک نہیں کہ آب و ہوا تیزی سے تبدیل ہو رہے ہیں، انسانی سرگرمیوں اور ایندھن کے بڑھتے ہوئے استعمال کے باعث موسم شدید تر ہوتا جا رہا ہے۔ رپورٹ میں خبردار کیا گیا ہے کہ کاربن ڈائی آکسائیڈ کے اخراج میں اضافے کے باعث ہمارے سیارے کی ان گیسوں کو جذب کرنے کی قدرتی صلاحیت ختم ہوتی جارہی ہے۔ سمندر میں تیزابیت تیزی سے بڑھ رہی ہےاور اس میں 1984 کے بعد سے مزید تیزی آئی ہے۔ تنظیم کا کہنا ہے یہ صورت حال عالمی سطح پر فوری ماحولیاتی معاہدے کا تقاضا کرتا ہے۔ رپورٹ کے مطابق 2013 میں ماحول میں اوسط کاربن ڈائی آکسائیڈ کی تعداد 396 پارٹس پر ملین تک پہنچ گئی ہے یعنی گزشتہ سال کےمقابلے میں 3پی پی ایم کا اضافہ ریکارڈ گیا گیا ہے۔ پی پی ایم ایک ایسی اکائی ہے جسے ہوا میں آلودگی ناپنے کے لیے استعمال کیا جاتا ہے عام طور پر 10 ہزار پی پی ایم ایک فیصد کے برابر ہوتا ہے۔ رپورٹ میں مزید کہا گیا ہے کہ ایک طرف تو کاربن کے اخراج میں اضافہ ہوا ہے تو دوسری طرف زمین کے بائیو سفیر میں اس اخراج کو جذب کرنے کی صلاحیت بھی کم ہورہی ہے۔ سائنسدانوں کا کہنا ہے کہ یہ نیا انکشاف ان کے لیے پریشانی کا باعث ہے اور اس کے زمین پر منفی اثرات مرتب ہوں گے۔ رپورٹ کے مطابق 1990 سے لے کر 2013 کے درمیان کاربن ڈآئی آکسائید، متیھین اور نائٹرس آکسائیڈ کے اخراج میں اضافے کے باعث درجہ حرارت میں 34 فیصد تک اثرات مرتب ہوئے ہیں۔ اقوام متحدہ کی دعوت پر 23 ستمبر کو عالمی رہنما نیویارک میں جمع ہو رہے ہیں اور اس بات کا امکان ہے کہ یہ رہنما عالمی ماحول کے حوالے سے کسی معاہدے پر پہنچ جائیں جو زمین کے مستقبل کے لئے انتہائی اہم ہوگا۔