Turkey mine blast death toll rises to at least 40: Minister

Turkey Mine Blast: "We have counted 40 dead in total. 58 miners were able to save themselves," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

The toll following a blast at a coal mine in northern Turkey rose to at least 40 killed, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Saturday.

Turkey Mine Blast: People gather outside a coal mine after an explosion in Amasra, in Bartin Province, Turkey. (AFP)

"We have counted 40 dead in total. 58 miners were able to save themselves," Soylu said in the wake, following one of Turkey's deadliest industrial accidents in years on Friday.

A tearful Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said: "We are approaching the end of the rescue operation."