At least 41 workers have died following an enormous underground mine explosion in Turkey and rescuers are trying to reach dozens of trapped workers.
Firefighters and medical teams are at the scene in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin following the blast which is believed to have been caused by methane gas.
The explosion is believed to have taken place 300 meters below the ground while there were 110 people working.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at the scene on Saturday afternoon and said the body of one missing miner had been reached, confirming 41 were killed.
Paramedics were pictured appearing to perform CPR on casualties while other workers remain trapped down the state-owned TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine.
The huge underground eruption occurred at the Turkish Hard Coal Institution Amasra Establishment Directorate at around 6.15pm local time.
Emergency services, including nine ambulances, and friends and family of those working in the mine all rushed to the scene.
It is believed the explosion was caused by firedamp, a term referring to methane in coal mines.
Turkish TV footage showed people being carried to ambulances, with emergency personnel crowding the area.
Health Minister Mr Koca tweeted that people were being treated for burns and respiratory problems.
He wrote: "One injured person was brought to Istanbul Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital by airplane ambulances from Bartın, and their condition was evaluated in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center. And five injured people were treated in the Burn Center."
Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said that the initial indications were that the blast was caused by firedamp.
There are no ongoing fires inside the mine and the ventilation inside was working properly, Donmez said, adding that there were partial collapses inside the mine.
Bartin Governor's Office confirmed emergency services were on site trying to rescue the people stuck below ground and that the blast occurred below the entrance to the mine at around 15:15 GMT.
AK Party Group Deputy Chairman and Bartın Deputy Yılmaz Tunç said: "We haven't learned the cause of the explosion yet.
"We hope that all of our brothers will survive this accident, the search teams are very experienced.
"They went down to the quarry and they continue to save our workers. At the moment, rescue teams, technical teams are focused on rescue.
'Our hope is that this explosion will not have much impact, our workers will not lose their lives, this is all our prayer."
The Bartın Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has already launched an investigation.
"A partial explosion occurred at around 6.15pm at the Amasra Hard Coal Enterprise at -300 elevation. expressions were used," they said.
Private NTV news channel claim a number of workers have already been brought out of the mine alive.
President Tayyip Erdogan said he would go to Bartin on Saturday. "Our hope is that the loss of life will not increase further, that our miners will be saved safely and all our efforts are in this direction," he said on Twitter.
A total of 301 people died in Turkey’s worst mine disaster back in 2014 following a fire inside a coal mine in Soma.
AFAD has announced that search and rescue teams from many different provinces were dispatched to the city.
Last week, three people were injured as the Aghdam district prosecutor's office investigating a mine explosion in Azerbaijan.
"Once again, we urge citizens not to deviate from the designated routes, to be careful, and not to enter dangerous zones," the office said.
