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۔

'No survivors in Sorange mine collapse'

By AFP / Express / Shahzad Baloch
Published: March 21, 2011
Pakistani miners and their relatives gather at the entrance of a mine in Sorange district of the insurgency-torn province of Baluchistan on March 20, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA:
The death toll from a coal mine collapse in Sorange, Balochistan rose to 45 on Monday with officials announcing that there were no survivors.

According to Express 24/7 correspondent Mohammad Kazim, Balochistan provincial Minister for Irrigation and Power Sardar Aslam Bizenjo said that all 45 workers trapped in the Sorange mine had died.

Bizenjo made this announcement after visiting the mine site, reports Kazim.

Efforts are being made to recover all the bodies from the mine.

The mine in the far-flung Sorange district of the troubled southwestern province was poorly ventilated, allowing poisonous gases to accumulate and trigger blasts which led to the collapse on Sunday, officials said.

Rescue workers retrieved 10 bodies on Sunday. “They had severe burns, which means that the blasts also caused a fire,” Mohammad Iftikhar, provincial chief inspector of mines, told AFP overnight. He had earlier said the victims died of suffocation.

Balochistan’s home secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani had earlier said the missing workers were unlikely to receive enough oxygen to survive. Rescue work, which had to be briefly stopped on Sunday because some of the emergency crew were knocked unconscious by the noxious fumes, had resumed and military experts and engineers had been called in to help, Raisani said.

Updated from print edition (below)

19 dead as mine collapses


At least 19 miners were killed and more than 30 others were trapped and feared dead after a coalmine caved in due to explosions caused by accumulation of methane gas in Sorange, about 30 kilometres from Quetta in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The mine is owned by the government-owned Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC). Its management had been warned 15 days earlier by the government of the danger of an explosion due to an accumulation of methane gas and told to stop mining.

As many as 53 miners were working in depth of 4,000 meters in the coalmine when explosions took place causing a collapse. Rescue work was delayed because the equipment for emergency services was not available near the mine and had to be transported from Quetta.

However, the miners of nearby coalmines rushed to help their trapped colleagues and started rescue work on their own.

After several hours, they were able to retrieve nine dead bodies and rescue four miners alive. The rescued miners were deeply traumatised and not fully cogent when they came out.

“More than 30 miners are still trapped underground and efforts are underway to get them out. However, there are less hopes for their survival,” an official said.

Senior provincial government officials, including Urban Development Minister Ismail Gujar, rushed to the site and later the military also joined the rescue operation.

“Three explosions occurred in the coalmine which have resulted in collapse of the coalmine,” said Mohammad Sharif, a rescue worker.

As of the filing of this story, rescue work was still ongoing. Relief work has been slow due to a lack of experience on the part of the rescue workers, who are employees of the Metropolitan Corporation Quetta working without any specialised equipment.

“Most of the equipment are outdated and are no longer
in use or relevant,” said an official of mines department on the condition of anonymity.

There is also the danger of more explosions in the mine.

“There is still methane gas in the coalmine which hinders the rescue operation,” said one rescue worker.

Balochistan Mining Secretary Mushtaq Raisani said that an investigation will be launched into the
incident to determine who was responsible for the accident.

“Why did they not stop the mining despite the [government] warning? Whoever is found to have been negligent of their responsibilities will face criminal charges,” said Raisani.

According to sources at the Balochistan Mines and Mineral Department, PMDC had sublet the coalmine to a private contractor in violation of the Balochistan Mineral Rules 2002, which do not allow any firm to sublet any mine.

“There are several other coalmines that firms had sublet to private contractors. The mines inspectors do not take any action or ensure the safety and protection of the labourers,” said one mine department source.

There are more than 60,000 miners working in approximately 2,200 mines, most of which do not take adequate safety measures resulting in accidents like this one, according to mining department officials.

The president of the mines’ labour union, Bakht Nawab, said that they have been
demanding from the
government to provide labourers with safety equipment in order to protect their lives for the past three years but their efforts have been in vain.

“Miners are not even provided safety lights and gas detector,” said Nawab. “They are being treated like animals.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2011.