Anger was growing across Turkey on Wednesday as hopes faded for scores of workers trapped in a collapsed mine and the death toll hit 245, in effect becoming one of the country´s worst-ever industrial disasters.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Ankara and Istanbul, accusing the government of negligence, as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected claims of government culpability.
“We have witnessed one of the biggest work accidents in our recent history,” Erdogan told reporters after visiting the mine in the western town of Soma in Manisa province.
Erdogan said figures remained uncertain but mining operators thought 120 workers were still trapped following Tuesday´s explosion, caused by an electrical fault.
Reports from rescue workers on the scene suggest the figure could be far higher.
