Note found in dead miner’s hand with message of blessing dedicated to son

MANİSA

Relatives cry during a funeral ceremony for the victims of the mine accident in Soma, May 15. AFP Photo / Bülent Kılıç

As family members and colleagues of trapped miners gathered at the Soma mine anxiously waiting for the good news, rescue teams continued to pull out dead bodies from the tunnels.

In another harrowing new detail, rescuers have conveyed a note written by a dead miner and dedicated to his son.

“Please give me your blessings, son,” read the message that was found in the hand of the victim.

General Mine Workers Union (GMIS) Head Osman Tutkun, speaking to private broadcaster NTV, said the message had deeply affected many locals, as the bodies continued to be delivered to families.

“It shows how dignified those mine workers are,” Tutkun said.

Hopes are diminishing for the dozens of miners who are still believed to be trapped in what has become Turkey’s worst mining disaster.