Collapse in Mine Owned by Company Responsible for Deaths of 301 Workers

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In Soma district of Manisa province, the roof of a mine, which is run by the same company responsible for the occupational homicide that claimed the lives of 301 workers in 2014, collapsed yesterday (December 12). The incident left 11 workers trapped in the wreckage.

Eight workers were rescued initially after the collapse. The other three were rescued after the efforts. The 11 injured workers have been sent to hospital.

CLICK - Verdict Announced in Soma Trial, Families Protest

Making a statement on the incident yesterday, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez said, "There is no loss of lives. Rescue teams are at the scene, all the miners are rescued".

Gürkan is banned from mining business

Işıklar Mine Pit, where the collapse happened, is part of the parent company Soma Coal Management Co., which is owned by Alp Gürkan and Can Gürkan, who were the defendants of the occupational homicide case regarding the 2014 incident.

In the case which took three years to conclude, Alp Gürkan was acquitted, Can Gürkan was sentenced to 15 years in prison for "killing by negligence" and banned from mining business for three years.

Berrin Demir, a lawyer of the Soma case, told bianet that the verdict was "against reason and conscience" after the pronouncement of the verdict. Demir said, "The families were outraged saying, 'This can not be the price of the deaths of 301 workers. This verdict is a reward for them.'" (PT/VK)