Turkey’s Soma mine victim’s 3-year-old son dies at hospital

Enes Baygül, the only child of mine disaster victim Hayrullah Baygül, died in the Soma State Hospital in the Manisa province. He was brought to hospital by his mother due to shortness of breath.

His mother, Zemine Baygül, burst into tears as she waited at the front of the hospital to take her son’s body. The boy had had cerebral palsy since he was 11 months-old and used special medical tools to help him breathe.

His social security did not pay for the 1,000 Turkish Lira-cost of the medical materials. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Manisa deputy Sakine Öz brought the issue to the parliament, demanding a solution for the boy’s health expenses. However, no action was taken.  

Some 301 workers were killed in the country’s worst ever mining disaster at the Soma coal mine in western Turkey. A total of 45 suspects are on trial over the tragedy, with eight former managers from the Soma Kömür group that ran the mine accused of “killing with probable criminal intent.”