Turkish government lowers death toll in mine collapse to 13

Turkey lowers death toll in mine collapse to 13

ANKARA, Turkey — The government on Wednesday said 13 workers were killed in a coal mine collapse in northwestern Turkey, not 17 as previously reported.

Labor Minister Omer Dincer explained the revised death toll by saying four bodies had previously been counted twice after the methane gas explosion that caused an underground chamber in the mine to collapse Tuesday.

At least four of 18 others injured were in critical condition Wednesday with severe burns, Dincer said.

It was the second deadly explosion in four years at the mine near Dursunbey, in Balikesir province, after 17 workers were killed in a similar blast in 2006.

Safety violations and outdated equipment have been factors in past mine accidents in Turkey.

A December accident in neighboring Bursa province left 19 miners dead. Turkey’s worst mining disaster was the 1992 gas explosion that killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.