Gov’t to ‘provide financial aid’ to families of blast victims

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ordered a legal arrangement to provide 1.5 million Turkish Liras in cash aid and a monthly pension to the families of the workers who died in the Oct. 14’s mine blast in the northern province of Bartın, the daily Milliyet has reported.

The main agenda of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Decision and Executive Board meeting held under the chairmanship of Erdoğan was the mine disaster in Amasra, which claimed the lives of 41 workers and wounded several dozens.

At the meeting, the president instructed that “the financial support package to be prepared for the families of the victims of the blast be brought to the parliament as soon as possible.”

The daily said more than 1.5 million liras of cash aid will be provided to the families and legal arrangements will be made to pay their spouses or children a pension regardless of their seniority.

A team was formed to help the relatives of the workers who lost their lives in the accident. Mustafa Elitaş, the deputy parliamentary group leader, and deputy chairs Vedat Demiröz and Jülide Sarıeroğlu will also take part in the team established under the chairmanship of Binali Yıldırım, the vice chair.

The blast ripped through the mine near the small coal district of Amasra shortly before sunset on Oct. 14.

Erdoğan arrived at the site on Oct. 15 afternoon to announce the last missing person had been found dead.

“We do everything in our power in order to bury mine accidents in history by employing all the means of technology and all the instruments of business administration,” Erdoğan said as he inspected and coordinated the rescue operation at the coal mine.

“I believe that our domestic and national capabilities will be sufficient to enable us to implement the necessary structural transformation in this issue,” he said.

Noting that the mine blast due to firedamp deeply saddened the Turkish nation, Erdoğan wished Allah’s mercy upon all the mine workers who were killed in the blast and offered his condolences to their families.

The administrative and judicial probe will reveal what caused the blast and who is responsible for it, Erdoğan suggested.

The investigation into the death of 41 miners in a methane explosion that occurred in a coal mine in the Black Sea province of Bartın continues, with a special team consisting of expert personnel being appointed to work on the probe.

“If there is any negligence, fault or deficiency, who or whom it is caused by, the law will do what is necessary for them. No one should have worries or doubts about it,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said on Oct. 17.

The health condition of five miners injured in the explosion is still critical, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced.

Moreover, Education Minister Mahmut Özer said the ministry will cover all the education expenses of the mine blast victims’ children.