Turkish police have detained 18 people as part of the investigation into last week’s mine disaster in Soma, according to local media.

Those facing questioning are believed to include executives and other personnel of Soma Holdings, the company that owns the coal mine. The firm has denied negligence.

Turkey’s Zaiman newspaper reported that Soma Holdings’ general manager Ramazan Dogru and operations manager Akin Celik were among those detained by police.

An explosion on May 13 sent deadly carbon monoxide through the Soma mine and caused it to collapse.

The final death toll stands at 301 after rescue efforts were called off this weekend.

Soma residents are desperate to know what happened.

A local man, attending a funeral for one of the victims, told reporters: “The truth must come out, it should be revealed in detail. Nothing should stay secret.”

The Turkish government has said it will carry out a thorough investigation into what happened.