Updated - The death toll from an explosion and fire in a Turkish coal mine rose above 200 this morning as rescue workers continued retrieving the dead and injured more than 12 hours after the blast, the country's energy minister said.

Hundreds more are still believed to be trapped in the mine in Soma, around 120 km (75 miles) northeast of the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, and the death toll could rise further, Taner Yildiz told reporters at the scene. 

Mr Atci said a power distribution unit exploded, leaving up to 300 workers still inside the mine. NTV television said the accident occurred more than a mile inside the mine.

Mining accidents are common in Turkey which is plagued by poor safety conditions.

The country's worst mining disaster was a 1992 gas explosion that killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.