“My heart goes out to the miners and their families. They have suffered a devastating loss of life. My thoughts are also with the efforts of the rescue and emergency services to save lives.”

She added “It is a sad fact that Turkey has a poor record of health and safety. This tragedy has brought death and appalling loss to the people of Soma, I can only hope it also brings about a change in attitude towards workers’ health, safety and rights in Turkey.

“It is a reminder to all of us of the dangerous tasks workers undertake on our behalf and of our duty to do all we can to reduce the risks.”