Nearly 300 miners have died since a coal mine exploded in Soma, western Turkey on Tuesday, while another 150 miners are believed to be trapped underground. As rescue missions continue, grief and anger are growing.
People mourned as they buried the dead in Soma on Thursday. Whole families and communities have been effected by the blast, Turkey's worst-ever industrial accident.
As families and friends mourned, rescue efforts continued. On Thursday, eight more miners were rescued from underground. Turkey's energy minister said 787 people were in the mine at the time of the accident.
On Wednesday, Turkey's embattled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Soma. Flanked by security personal, Erdogan expressed his sorrow. Many remained angry that he did not take enough responsibility for the explosion at the state-owned mine.
Protests broke out. Anger at Erdogan's handling accelerated after pictures circulated of Yusuf Yerkel, an Erdogan advisor, kicking a detained protestor during Erdogan's visit.
Meanwhile, in cities across Turkey, like here in Ankara, protestors also took to the streets to express their anger at Erdogan. The prime minister has faced widespread opposition for his heavy-handed crackdowns on dissent and protests.
