The mine is located near the town of Ermenek in Karaman province, around 110 km north of Turkey’s Mediterranean coastline.
An area of the pit was flooded while the miners were working and trapped them 350m underground. So far, at least 20 workers have been rescued from the mine.
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz has reportedly told Turkey’s NTV that the water has now surpassed the area where the miners have been trapped.
"Water is rising one metre every two hours … Time is working against us," Yildiz added.
Reuters quoted Yildiz as saying that the source of the water is not yet known, and it could be from collected rainwater or another deposit.
The accident comes after Turkey’s worst mining disaster western town of Soma, which left 301 workers dead earlier this year.
Turkey’s emergency management agency, AFAD said that the flooding was caused due to a broken pipe in the mine, reported Associated Press.
