Mourning, outrage reverberate through Turkey

When Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan arrived at the scene of the disaster, he was booed by the crowd. His party, AKP, stands accused of having rejected a recent proposal by the opposition to have the mine inspected. There was also outrage at an Erdogan statement that read: "Such accidents are common in mines.

During Erdogan's visit to Soma, his adviser Yusuf Yerkel kicked a protester who was being held down by two soldiers. The incident triggered a wave of public outrage. Yerkel later attempted to justify his behavior by saying the man on the ground insulted Erdogan.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, on the other hand, said the explosion was a "huge disaster" and that "the pain is felt by all of us." He also visited victims and their families and said an investigation would be held to prevent such accidents in the future.

People took to the streets of many Turkish cities. They protested against Erdogan's government as well as the company that ran the coal mine. Trade unions called for strikes across the country.

Anti-government protests have taken place in Istanbul and other Turkish cities. Thousands of demonstrators are calling on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step down. The police have been using water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowds.

Relatives and friends who rushed to the accident scene were overcome by grief for the victims - and anger at the mining company and government. For the workers still trapped underground, there is little hope of rescue. Turkey's government has declared a three-day national mourning period.

According to Turkish trade union representatives, the Soma mine has been considered unsafe for quite some time. The former are accusing the operator Soma Kömür of prioritizing revenues over worker safety and say the incident can be blamed on human error. Kani Beko, chairperson of the DISK union confederation, has described the disaster as a "massacre."

Ambulances remain parked at the site of the accident, as fires continue to burn in the mine shaft. Many of the trapped miners are presumed dead. According to Turkish media, a makeshift morgue has been set up near the mine.

In the hours following the explosion, some of the miners were able to rescue their injured colleagues. The accident happened during the afternoon shift change, around 3 p.m. local time. According to official sources, 787 workers were inside the mine when the explosion took place.

The first burials are taking place in Soma. For Muslims, Islamic law dictates that the deceased must be buried within one day of their death.

Politicians from all over the world have expressed their sympathies to those affected by the incident. German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan: "Our thoughts are with the victims' loved ones. We wish those injured a fast and complete recovery." She added that Germany was standing by Turkey's side in this difficult period.

The Ruhr district in western Germany was once the heart of the German mining industry. Today, only two mines remain in operation. Many of the region's miners have Turkish roots. "Our thoughts are with the miners still missing, with the injured and with their families," said the works council head of the RAG coal mining corporation.