Mine Blast Kills 19 in Turkey

Turkish officials said Friday that 19 workers died in an underground explosion an a coal mine at Bursa in the west of the country.

The explosion, caused late Thursday by a buildup of methane gas, took place more than 600 feet below ground, starting a fire and destroying tunnel support structures.

On Friday, rescue teams reached six bodies and were still trying to unearth 13 more that remained trapped, the semi-official Anatolian News Agency quoted officials as saying.

Accidents are not uncommon in Turkey’s coal mining industry. In Zonguldak, a mining center in the northern part of the country, 41 workers died between 2003 and 2009, according to Labor Ministry records.