Pakistan expresses grief over deaths due to explosion in Turkiye

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives in a coal mine explosion in Bartin’s province of Turkiye.

According to Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the government and the people of Pakistan have conveyed their heartfelt condolences to Turkiye over the tragic loss of lives, and prayed for a swift and successful rescue operation, which is underway.

Expressing wishes for a speedy recovery to of the injured, the spokesperson said that Pakistan stands with its Turkish brothers and sisters in this hour of pain.

Turkiye mine explosion

The death toll after an explosion in a coal mine in Turkey’s northern Bartin province has reached 41, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Earlier, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 58 of the 110 people working in the mine when the blast occurred were rescued by the teams or got out by themselves.

Soylu also said one miner was discharged from the hospital while 10 were still receiving treatment in Bartin and Istanbul.

Authorities said Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident but initial indications were that the blast was caused by firedamp, a term referring to methane in coal mines.

Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said a fire in the mine was largely contained but fire isolation and cooling efforts were continuing after the incident that took place 350 metres (0.2 miles) below ground.