Five miners died after a collapse at a private coal mine in Soma on 1 October 2026. Two workers survived, and authorities have opened criminal, labour and technical investigations.
The collapse was reported on 1 October 2026 at a private coal mine in Soma district, Manisa province. Seven workers were trapped beneath the debris. Five died. Two survived.
Rescue teams reached all seven miners. One of the survivors remains in hospital, while the other has been discharged. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced the death toll and offered condolences to the victims' families and colleagues.
The incident was reported on 1 October 2026, after seven workers became trapped beneath debris at the mine in Soma.
Soma is in western Turkey, about 100 kilometers northeast of Izmir. The district is closely tied to lignite mining and power generation. Local authorities said the rescue work ended after emergency teams reached the trapped miners.
The Manisa provincial administration said emergency services and rescue teams were sent to the site. Officials also set up a crisis coordination center. That work ended.
The Turkish Directorate General of Mining and Petroleum Affairs has assigned experts to examine the collapse. The Energy Ministry said the review would look at the accident from all sides rather than focus on one possible cause. Europa Press reported the official information.
Soma has a painful place in Turkey's mining history. In 2014, more than 300 people died there after a fire and explosion at a mine. It was the country's worst mining disaster.
Alongside the technical inspection, Turkey’s Justice Ministry opened a criminal investigation and the Labour Ministry sent a chief labour and social security inspector to the site. The Family Ministry also sent psychosocial support teams to the mine and the hospital to assist relatives and survivors.
The latest collapse has now been followed by several official reviews. The Justice Ministry opened a criminal investigation. The Labour Ministry sent a chief labour and social security inspector to the site. The Family Ministry sent psychosocial support teams to the mine and hospital for relatives and survivors.
All seven trapped workers were located. Five people died, and two were brought out alive. One survivor is still receiving medical care.
The expert inspection will examine how the collapse happened. The criminal and administrative reviews will also look at possible responsibility and compliance issues. The scope of the inquiry matters.
Statements from the Energy Ministry and the Manisa provincial administration confirm the rescue outcome and the official response. Turkish media reports also describe the judicial and labour-safety investigations. The Family Ministry has reported support for the affected families and the two survivors.
Soma's 2014 disaster gives the latest accident added weight. The new investigation must establish the full circumstances of the collapse and identify any failures behind it. Five lives were lost.
