Due to a mine explosure in the Karadon mine in Zonguldak on May 17, 28 workers left their lives.
3 days after the explosure in the mine that belongs to the Hard Coal Institution of Turkey and run by a subcontracting firm, the rescue teams reached the bodies of the workers 540 metres under the ground. These workers have been the latest victims of the so-called labour "accidents" in the mines of Zonguldak that has costed so far the lives of hundreds of workers.{divide}
The Mining Engineers' Chamber affiliated to TMMOB made a statement concerning the explosure and drew the attention to the fact that there was no early warning system in the mine and the workers did not even wear gas-masks.
The bodies of the workers who were identified has been given to their families and 25 of them have been buried on May 20 and 21.
Trade unions and revolutionary and democratic organisations have mobilised themselves in face of the mine disaster.
KESK has dedicated the general strike that will take place on May 26 to the workers who have so far lost their lives in the mines of Zonguldak and in the dockyards. The members of the KESK made an action in front of the Regional Administration of Labour in Istanbul. The general president Sami Evren spoke in the name of the confederation and gave their condolences to the families of the workers who were killed in the explosure and to the working class of Turkey. He stressed that the one responsible for the accident is the system.
ESP made several statements demanding that the responsible ones should be judged. 3 ESP members enchained themselves to the office of the Regional Administration of Labour in Istanbul. They shouted slogans such as "This is not an accident but a murder!", "The Minister of Labour should resign!" and "The responsible ones should be judged!" and they expressed that the AKP government is responsible for the accident. They were later arrested by the police.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan went to Zonguldak on May 19 and he was received with protests. As he tried to speak with the families of the workers, they protested him. Alp Kaan Polatkan was arrested by the police and he was sent to prison on May 20 under the accusation of "insulting at the leaders of the state". Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan defined the mine explosure as a "destiny" and he named the protesting families as "immoral ones".
208 workers have been the victims of so called labour "accidents" in the last 7 years and 2687 workers have lost their lives so far in the mines of Zonguldak which is a city known by mine disasters.