Manisa Mayor Cengiz Ergun gave the figures to CNN Turk television overnight.

Official disaster response unit AFAD said the death toll was far less at 17.

Local media were told that 580 people were trapped in the mine at the time of the explosion but many escaped.

Large crowds of distraught family and friends have gathered at the site waiting for more recoveries.

One of the two air pockets of the mine was blocked, trapping workers.

The incident is believed to have been caused by a faulty electrical transformer, which triggered the explosion at 12.30pm (local time) yesterday.

Fire officials have been trying to pump clean air into the mine shaft for those still trapped while hundreds of workers and rescue teams struggle to locate the remaining miners.

Mining company Soma Komur released a statement calling the mine collapse a "tragic accident".

The mine was last inspected by Turkey's Ministry of Labour and Social Security on March 17 and was found to be compliant.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his condolences to the families of those who have died.