Two miners have died and five others were injured after a firedamp explosion at a privately operated coal mine in Gelik, in northwestern Turkey. One miner remained trapped underground as rescue teams worked to reach him, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:00 local time on Friday, 23 October 2026. Emergency crews, including Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), firefighters and medical teams, were sent to the mine after an emergency call.
What happened at the Turkish coal mine?
The explosion took place at a mine in Gelik, a town in Zonguldak province. Local authorities said the blast was caused by firedamp, a term used for flammable gas in underground coal workings. Firedamp can ignite when it accumulates and comes into contact with a source of ignition.
Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacibektasoglu said eight miners had been inside the tunnel. Seven were brought out, but two later died in hospital. Five other workers were injured, including two who suffered serious burns.
One seriously injured miner was transferred to Ankara for treatment, while preparations were reportedly being made to move the second critically injured worker. Authorities said rescuers had made contact with the remaining miner underground and were attempting to bring him to safety.
Rescue teams search for trapped worker
The rescue operation involved AFAD personnel alongside medical and fire services. The priority was to reach the trapped miner while assessing conditions inside the tunnel and ensuring that rescuers could work safely.
Mining rescues can be complicated by unstable passages, smoke, gas and the risk of further explosions. Officials had not confirmed the trapped worker’s condition beyond saying that contact had been established.
- Two miners died after being taken to hospital.
- Five miners were injured, two of them seriously.
- One worker remained underground.
- Authorities attributed the blast to firedamp.
- An investigation was opened into the exact cause of the explosion.
Investigation opened into private mine
Local newspaper Pusula reported that the mine was privately owned by Demir Madencilik. The formal investigation is expected to examine the mine’s safety conditions, gas levels, operating procedures and compliance with workplace regulations.
At this stage, authorities had identified firedamp as the cause of the explosion, but the investigation will determine how the gas accumulated and what circumstances led to its ignition. No conclusions about responsibility had been announced in the information available.
The distinction is important because an initial cause identified at the scene is not necessarily the same as a final finding about liability or regulatory failures.
Turkey’s wider mining safety record
The explosion adds to a series of serious mining incidents in Turkey. Earlier in October, five people were reported killed in a coal mine collapse in Soma, in western Turkey.
The Worker Health and Work Safety Assembly, known by its Turkish acronym ISIG, reported that 1,267 miners were killed in workplace accidents between 2013 and 2025. Its figures indicated that cave-ins and suffocation were among the main causes of deaths during that period.
Turkey has a significant coal-mining sector, particularly in regions such as Zonguldak. Repeated accidents have kept mine ventilation, emergency preparedness, inspections and worker protection at the centre of public debate.
What happens next?
Rescue teams were expected to continue searching for the trapped miner while medical services treated the injured workers. The investigation will then seek to establish the technical and operational circumstances surrounding the blast.
Further official information may clarify the trapped worker’s condition, the final number of casualties and whether any enforcement action follows. Until that process is complete, the confirmed facts remain the explosion, the deaths and injuries, the ongoing rescue effort and the opening of an investigation.
Conclusion
The Turkish coal mine explosion has killed two miners, injured five and left another worker trapped underground in Gelik. The immediate focus is on completing the rescue and supporting those injured, while the investigation will determine how the firedamp blast occurred and whether wider mine-safety concerns require action.