Suleyman Soylu said that at least 28 others were rescued with injuries from the coal mine in the Black Sea coastal province of Amasra.

The explosion occurred 300 meters below ground at around 6 p.m. local time, the Bartin governor said from the scene.

Forty-four miners are trapped 300 meters underground and another five are trapped at 350 meters, governor Nurtac Aslan added.

The country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said that search and rescue teams from many different provinces were dispatched to the city.

Mining accidents are common in Turkey, which has poor mine-safety conditions.

On 13 May 2014, an explosion at Eynez coal mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, caused an underground mine fire, which burned until 15 May.

In total, 301 people were killed in what was the worst mine disaster in Turkey's history. (ILKHA)