Turkish mine disaster: Unions calls protest strike

Trade unions in Turkey have announced a one-day strike in protest at the country's worst ever mine disaster which has claimed at least 274 lives, the BBC reported.

Union officials said the recent privatisation of the mining sector had made working conditions more dangerous.

Three days of mourning for the victims began on Thursday.

Anger erupted against the government in several cities on Wednesday after the disaster in the western town of Soma on the previous day.

An explosion caused the pit to collapse while more than 700 miners were underground.

Government officials said 363 miners were rescued in the hours after the explosion, but no survivors have been brought out since dawn on Wednesday.

Rescue operations had to be halted for several hours into Thursday morning as high gas concentrations underground needed to be cleared.

Rescuers are still hunting desperately for scores of miners who are missing feared dead, but Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said the mine was still on fire hampering their efforts.

Eighty of those rescued have been treated for injuries, none of which were described as serious.

The head of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey told journalists that several major groups of unions had agreed to the strike.

Arzu Cerkezoglu also called on citizens to wear black and march on the Ministry of Labour.

"Those who pursue privatisation... policies, who threaten workers' lives to reduce cost... are the culprits of the Soma massacre and they must be held accountable," said a statement by another group, the Public Workers Unions Confederation.