Over 200 dead in Turkey's worst mine explosion

Turkey has been hit by one of the worst mining disasters it has seen. The explosion caused the death of at least 200 people and left many others trapped inside.

The miners found themselves isolated approximately two kilometers undergorund after an electric fault that triggered a power cut rendered lifts unusable.

In an attempt to keep those trapped alive, the rescue team pumped fresh oxygen through the ventilation systems but this operation was halted after a second fire burst.

At the time of the explosion about 800 workers were in the mine located near the city of Izmir.

Turkey's Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan cancelled all other commitments and rushed to the site of the mine.