Ankara, Oct 28 (IANS/EFE) At least 18 miners were trapped inside a coal mine in central Turkey's Karaman province following a landslide triggered by an accumulation of water, authorities said Tuesday.
Sahin Uyar, a representative of the mine, told the CNNTürk TV station that about 200 miners were working in the mine when the water began to rise.
Only eight of the 26 miners who were in the flooded area made it to safety, while the other 18 workers remain trapped down below, he said.
Uyar acknowledged that along with the rising water, carbon dioxide is also a threat. "This happened three hours ago and the oxygen tubes last for only two hours. It's almost impossible for the 18 to survive," he admitted.
--IANS/EFE
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