The cause of the mine explosion in mid-October is now determined as “serious negligence” in a police report.
It was on October 14 that 42 people lost their lives when a powerful explosion occurred in a mine in northern Turkey. At first it was believed that a transformer had exploded, but later it was feared that gases such as methane that can accumulate in the mine passages had ignited at a depth of about 300 meters.
In the police report that came out this week, it appears that the concentration of methane in the mine exceeded the warning threshold of one percent more than eighty times on the same day that the accident occurred.
The report also includes interviews with 350 people. Survivors, miners, managers and families of the victims.
A mine employee says that the miners could not be reached to warn them due to telecommunications deficiencies and understaffing.
On the whole, the accident is due to a long series of negligence. “Common breaches of regulations and mismanaged supervision have long contributed to poor discipline in the company and neglects in particular health and safety,” the 240-page report states.
Eight people, including the manager of the mine and several of his agents, have now been formally charged in connection with the accident.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously called for an investigation into the explosion, saying those responsible should not be spared.