United Nations officials have offered their condolences to the families affected by the coal mine explosion in the town of Soma in western Turkey that reportedly resulted in at least 245 deaths.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today expressed concern at Turkey’s recent decision to block access to the social media platform Twitter, noting that it is – along with any decision to curb freedom of expression online – in contradiction with the country’s international human rights commitments.