Turkey says 12 soldiers have died after exposure to methane gas during a cave search operation in northern Iraq. It did not explain the presence of the gas in the cave.
Turkey said on Monday that a dozen soldiers had died of methane gas poisoning after being exposed to the substance while searching a cave in northern Iraq for a soldier shot dead by Kurdish fighters three years ago.
The Defense Ministry gave an initial death toll of eight, but later raised it.
“Four others of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died … bringing the total number of victims to 12,” the ministry said on X.
Methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration.
What else did Turkey say?
“During a search operation in a cave … previously known to have been used as a hospital… 19 of our personnel were exposed to methane gas,” the ministry said on Sunday.
It said other soldiers also exposed to the gas in the cave had been taken to the hospital for treatment.
The ministry said the incident took place in the “Claw-Lock Operation region” — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022 to clear militants holed up in caves along the border.
It said the soldier whose body was being looked for had been killed by “terrorist gunfire.”
Recovery teams have been searching the area for the past three years.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/turkish-soldiers-die-of-methane-gas-poisoning-in-iraq/a-73183146
