What happened?

According to the Energy and Natural Resource Ministry, on 13 May 2014, 301 people died in the Soma mine disaster in Turkey's Western Manisa province. The accident is not the first in the country, but is the most fatal.

There are reports the mine did not comply with modern labour and safety standards. It is operated by Soma Komur Isletmeleri A.S. which is a private company and during the staff shift change on 13 May 2014, an explosion occurred. The cause is still under investigation and 301 people are confirmed to have died, although it is understood illegal workers were in the mine at the time so there is no official record of how many people were actually underground at the time of the explosion.

Despite the apparent risks, the Turkish authorities have long been criticised for being reluctant to enforce adequate labour safety regulations.

What's the current regulatory regime?