"I couldn't see anything:" Turkey coal miners recall blast as funerals held for victims

At least 41 people were killed in an explosion at a coal mine in Turkey's northern Bartın province, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday.

Earlier, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 58 of the 110 people working in the mine when the blast occurred on Friday were rescued by the teams or got out by themselves.

Miners who took part in the rescue efforts to pull people out of the collapsed mine described the poor visibility they struggled against.

"There was such dense dust and smoke that I have never seen anything like that in my life. The dust was so dense, I couldn't see anything ahead even with the lamp," said one miner

Authorities said Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident, but initial findings indicate that the blast was caused by "firedamp," a term referring to methane in coal mines.

Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said a fire in the mine was largely contained but fire isolation and cooling efforts were continuing after the incident that took place 350 meters below ground.

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