Soma
A relative of a miner reacts as she waits in front of an hospital in Soma, a district in Turkey's western province of Manisa May 14, 2014. Reuters

Protests broke out across Turkey on Wednesday as citizens vented their frustration and demanded answers in light of the Soma mine explosion on Tuesday that killed more than 200 miners and left more than 100 missing.

Protesters accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government of ignoring calls to address mine safety in Soma just two weeks before the explosion. The most violent demonstrations were centered around the mine, where 238 people were killed. Erdogan visited the site of the disaster and was met with angry relatives of the miners.

In Ankara, the capital, about 800 students at Middle Eastern Technical University attempted to march on the Energy Ministry building on Wednesday but were blocked by police, the English-language Hurriyet Daily News reported. Police used water canons and tear gas to prevent the demonstration. Students gathered inside the university and were about to head toward the ministry when the clash occurred.

Other demonstrations were staged in Istanbul, where protesters stormed the headquarters of the Soma mine's operators on Wednesday. Police also sent a water cannon to the Soma hospital where the injured miners were taken.

Protesters also gathered at Istanbul University.

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