Turkish treasure hunters seriously injured in accidental blast

KONYA

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Two illegal treasure hunters in Turkey’s Central Anatolian province of Konya have been injured when an explosive that they had prepared to remove rocks exploded prematurely. 

According to Demirören News Agency, the accident happened at a stone quarry in the Kumralı neighborhood. Believing that there was a treasure in the area, illegal treasure hunters Ahmet Eskici, 34, and Uğur Togaç, 28, had started to prepare for an illegal excavation when their homemade bomb exploded.

While the two treasure hunters, who were seriously injured, were sent to the hospital for treatment, security forces detained their friend, identified only as Hüseyin C., who was allegedly leading the illegal excavation.

Despite all efforts, illegal treasure hunters continue to operate throughout Turkey, which is home to several ancient civilizations.

Most recently, the Phrygian Valley, located within the borders of the Aegean provinces of Kütahya and Afyonkarahisar and the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir, had suffered heavy destruction by treasure hunters’ dynamites.