Friends and family of the 301 miners who died in an explosion and fire at a coal mine in Soma, Turkey, lay the victims to rest on Saturday as authorties called off search and rescue operations. The incident was Turkey’s deadliest industrial disaster.
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Turkey on Saturday declared rescue operations over following this week’s devastating coalmine blast after retrieving the bodies of two last trapped miners, bringing the final death toll to 301. Oli Scarff / Getty Images / May 17, 2014 -
A preliminary expert report on the accident pointed to several safety violations in the mine, including a shortage of carbon monoxide detectors and ceilings made of wood instead of metal. Oli Scarff / Getty Images / May 17, 2014 -
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been the focus of mounting anger for his response, starting with an apparent attempt to play down the incident by comparing it to mining disasters from 19th-century Britain. Oli Scarff / Getty Images / May 17, 2014 -
Company officials have claimed safety standards were high, that there were gas sensors at “50 locations” and that all employees were provided gas masks. Oli Scarff / Getty Images / May 17, 2014 -
Policemen pray next to graves of the miners. Tolga Bozoglu / EPA / May 17, 2014 -
A miner told the Associated Press that government safety inspectors never visited the lower reaches of the Soma mine and have no idea of how bad conditions get. Oli Scarff / Getty Images / May 17, 2014 -
The rescue workers have battled unexpected fires since Tuesday’s initial fire and explosion, including one that broke out earlier Saturday. Oli Scarff / Getty Images / May 17, 2014
In pictures: Turkish miners laid to rest
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