3 days of mourning declared after accident

Turkey has declared three days of national mourning for victims of a coal mine explosion that killed at least 238 people and left at least 200 more trapped underground, the prime minister's office said on Wednesday.

President Abdullah Gul has cancelled an official visit to China, scheduled from May 15 to 21, over the disaster. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also called off a trip to Albania.

The accident happened in a mine in the western province of Manisa, where a fire broke out following an explosion in a power distribution unit. Most of the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning, Minister of Energy Taner Yildiz said.

Xinhua