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In pictures: Turkey mourns dead as protests erupt nationwide

As Turkey mourns the dead from the Soma coal mine explosion, anti-government demonstrations are intensifying across the nation
Protesters clash with riot police as they protest the deaths of miners in Istanbul on 15 May (AFP)

The death toll in the Soma mining disaster reached 284 people on Friday, with 18 people believed to be still trapped underground.

Meanwhile, political pressure on Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan is increasing over what has been seen as a poor handling of the crisis.

Turkish riot police clashed with protesters across the country on Thursday in demonstrations sparked by the disaster, while mining unions held a nationwide strike.

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