ISTANBUL — Eighteen people, including company executives, have been detained as Turkish officials investigate the mining disaster that killed 301 people, a domestic news agency reported Sunday.
The Dogan news agency said Ramazan Dogru, general manager of the mine owned by Soma Holding, and its operations manager, Akin Celik, were among those detained.
Government and company officials have insisted that the mine was inspected regularly and negligence was not a factor, but in reaction to to widespread public anger, government officials promised to investigate and pledged that any mine officials found to be negligent would be prosecuted.
Right now the death tolll sits at 301.
