Mine collapse in southwestern Denizli kills two

A collapse at a chrome mine located in southwestern Türkiye has claimed the lives of two individuals - a mine worker and a mining engineer.

The victims, identified as Kadir Özer and Rıfat Salman, lost their lives as a result of yet another collapse in the mine owned by Elmaslar Mining in Denizli province, which employs approximately 100 workers in two shifts.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene late on Dec. 14 upon receiving notice of the collapse at around 11 p.m. Mustafa Karahan, another mine worker who was trapped under the rubble along with the deceased, was rescued after a challenging four-hour effort.

Unfortunately, the bodies of Özer and Salman were recovered 30 minutes later from the depth of 1,100 meters.

The cause of the recent collapse is yet to be determined, and an ongoing investigation has led to the suspension of operations at the mine.

The incident follows a similar collapse in the same mining area last year, which also experienced a tragic collapse in 2016. In that previous incident, a 40-year-old worker named Ali Rıza Kut lost his life.