Anger, grief as Turkey buries dead

As final bodies are pulled from Turkish mine the death tolls now stands at 301 for the country's worst industrial disaster ever. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

Published

about 3 years ago

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World

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Europe, World, Middle East & North Africa, Human Rights

People

Deborah Lutterbeck, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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Turkey

Transcript

Four days after a deadly mine accident in Turkey the final bodies are carried out. The death toll now tops 300. The disaster triggered angry protests, aimed at mine owners accused of ignoring safety for profit, and at Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government -- seen as too close to industry bosses. On Saturday, police rounded up dozens of lawyers and union members to thwart anti-government protests. They did not go quietly. Turkey's Energy Minister promises an investigation. (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ENERGY MINISTER TANER YILDIZ SAYING: "A technical, administrative and legal investigation into the accident will be launched and it will be carried out and it doesn't matter whether it will reach into the private or the public sector." A funeral for one of the miners killed in the explosion. The death tolls now stands at 301, in country's worst industrial disaster ever. Mining company managers say there was an unexplained heat build-up that led part of the mine to collapse -- which in turn started afire which spread rapidly under the surface. It's an assessment unlikely to quell the protests or offer comfort to those torn by loss.