Turkey Mine Still Ablaze As Protests Flare

Fire continues to rage inside a Turkish mine following an underground explosion, hampering rescue efforts to find survivors and bring out bodies.

Emergency workers have also had to contend with toxic fumes in their frantic search at the scene of the disaster in Soma, some 300 miles (480km) southwest of Istanbul.

And trouble has flared on the streets in Turkey as grief turned to anger in the wake of the accident which killed at least 282 workers.

The first funerals have been held for those killed in the underground blast

Police used water cannon against protesters amid growing fury directed against the government over poor underground safety standards.

The death toll is expected to rise as families lose hope of finding any of the estimated 150 miners still feared trapped.

The last survivor was brought out more than 24 hours ago.

A protester is kicked by an adviser to Turkey's PM during trouble in Soma

Rows of graves have been dug to bury those killed what has become Turkey's worst mining disaster.

In the meantime, security was tightened at the site for a visit of the country's President Abdullah Gul, with officials anxious to avoid a repeat of the anger which greeted Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, when his car was mobbed by protesters.

Pictures have emerged of that visit which show Yusuf Yerkel, an adviser to the prime minister, kicking a demonstrator as he is held on the ground by police officers.

There have been fresh clashes in Turkey following the disaster

Miners have been staging a strike in protest at the tragedy.

The accident has become a focal point of wider dissent against the ruling administration, which has been in power for 11 years, with violent clashes in Istanbul and the capital Ankara.

The government said 787 people were inside the coal mine at the time of the explosion, and 363 have been rescued, including many who were injured.

Scores of graves have been dug close to the mine to bury the dead

But some families have cast doubt on the official figures.

Those still trapped are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

As thousands of anxious relatives waited for news, Mr Erdogan was accused of ignoring warnings over safety at the coal pit.

A convoy containing his car was attacked by crowds and he was forced to seek refuge in a supermarket, surrounded by police.

With tensions running high, protesters shouted for him to resign and said he was a "murderer" and a "thief".

The visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul took place amid tight security

And Mr Erdogan's attempt to downplay the disaster at a news conference did little to quell the anger.

While he declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast, the Turkish leader said such accidents were not uncommon and happened in other countries, even highlighting cases in 19th century Britain.

Mr Erdogan said: "These types of things in mines happen all the time.

"It's in its nature. It's not possible for there to be no accidents in mines. Of course we were deeply pained by the extent here."

The public backlash over the disaster could threaten Mr Erdogan's presidential ambitions ahead of the August election.

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