As the rescue operation into Turkey´s worst industrial accident came to end on Saturday, 17 May, the number of dead was confirmed at 301 (of 787) with scores still unaccounted for. An explosion due to a faulty transformer is the official reason behind the worst mining accident in Turkey´s history with poor safety standards a significant contributing factor. Behind the grief and ensuing anger, there is a sense that this was a tragedy that could have been prevented. Only two weeks previously, the AKP government rejected a motion by the opposition Republican People´s Party (with the support of other parties in Parliament) to look into safety in the mining industry. Turkey´s record on mining safety is poor and according to the Turkish Statistical Institute, there were over 13 000 work place incidents in 2013 alone.
Tank, Pinar (2014) The Soma mining disaster: A tragedy foretold, The New Middle East blog. 22 May.