Turkey: At least twenty-five workers killed by explosion in coal mine

A coal mine explosion in Turkey's northern province of Bartin left at least twenty-five mine workers dead, after it trapped 49 workers late Friday.

Bartin Governor's Office said in a statement that six injured workers were taken to hospitals in Istanbul for treatment.

Governor Nurtac Arslan earlier told Turkish state news agency AA that there were 44 people on level -300 (300 meters below the entrance of the mine) and five people on -350, adding that eight people managed to leave the mine by their own means.

The explosion was caused by a transformer in the coal mine, which is owned by the state's Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises, Turkey's Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) said.

The explosion occurred 300 meters below the entrance of the mine at around 06:15 PM local time on Friday.

It has not yet been announced by the Turkish authorities or AFAD as of early Saturday morning how many workers are still trapped in the mine.