At least 12 miners were trapped in a copper mine in Turkey’s southeastern province of Siirt late on Thursday after it was reportedly hit by a landslide, triggering a collapse that killed at least four people.
Rescuers have recovered the bodies of four miners who died when the privately owned mine near the town of Şirvan collapsed late on Thursday.
On Friday families watched as rescue teams searched for the workers who were buried along with trucks and other machinery.
The Siirt Governor’s Office said an investigation has been launched, but authorities believe a landslide triggered by heavy rains caused the mine collapse.
In 2014, 301 miners were killed in a fire inside a coal mine in Soma, western Turkey — the nation’s worst mining disaster. The tragedy exposed poor safety standards and superficial government inspections in Turkey’s mines.