Turkish prosecutors arrested three people in relation to the mine explosion and fire, including a company manager, on charges of negligence Sunday, according to Reuters.
The three were also accused of causing the death of more than one person, a charge that doesn't imply intent, prosecutor Bekir Sahiner said at a news conference in the western town of Soma, where 301 coal miners were killed in Tuesday's tragedy, Reuters reported. Prosecutors will now decide whether to charge or release the remaining 16 people in custody.
Sahiner said one of those arrested was the company's operations manager, according to Reuters. The manager is Akin Celik, though Sahiner didn't identify him by name.
The arrests follow allegations by miners that the company failed to heed safety concerns and that government inspections had been superficial, Reuters reported. Other company executives were among the detained as Turkish officials investigate the mining disaster.
Sahiner said they included the mine's technical supervisor, its head of operations, it safety manager, duty managers and a high ranking company executive, according to Reuters. The Dogan news agency reported earlier that Ramazan Dogru, general manager of the mine owned by Soma Holding was detained.
The disaster has provoked anger at a critical time for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as he mulls running in August's presidential election, according to Reuters.
A total of 25 people were initially detained for questioning and six were later released, Sahiner said, Reuters reported.
The charges can lead to sentences of between three and 15 years in prison, according to the Turkish penal code, according to Reuters.
Government and company officials have insisted that the mine was inspected regularly and negligence wasn't a factor in the explosion and fire at the mine, but reacting to anger and sympathy for the miners, government officials promised to investigate and pledged that any mine officials found to be negligent would be punished, Reuters reported.
Company officials have described safety standards as high, noting that the mine contained 50 gas sensors and employees were provided with gas masks, according to Reuters.
On Saturday, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said rescue workers retrieved the bodies of the last two miners missing in the disaster, putting the death toll at 301, Reuters reported.
