At least three people have died according to the latest reports, and a further five have been injured, according to the provisional casualty figures following the collapse of one of the rock formations typical of the Cappadocia region, known as a fairy chimney, at the entrance to the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a site frequented by tourists visiting this well-known part of Turkey.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, local authorities initially confirmed two deaths and one person rescued with injuries, although the Turkish Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, has stated that five people were injured in the collapse in Cappadocia, whilst announcing the launch of an investigation to clarify what happened.
The rain caused a rockslide in Cappadocia
In a statement, the governor of Nevşehir Hüseyin Kök said that “Today, at 15:15 (13:15 CET), a landslide occurred due to the heavy rain. As a result of the falling rocks caused by the landslide in the district of Göreme, we have recovered the bodies of two people”.
“One injured person has been taken to hospital. They are currently receiving emergency medical care. Search and rescue operations are continuing at the scene. The relevant authorities are working in the area with all their resources, equipment and personnel. We will continue to keep the public informed”, he added.
Kök also noted that rescue teams remain at the scene to determine whether there were any more people trapped under the rubble, and assured that the affected area was limited to a small part of Göreme. “Only the area where the incident occurred has been cordoned off as a security perimeter. There have been no problems anywhere else. It is a small, localised area,” stated the governor.
Rescue teams search for more victims in Göreme
For his part, Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, announced the opening of a judicial investigation into the incident and confirmed the appointment of a deputy chief prosecutor and two prosecutors to the case to determine possible liabilities.
“According to initial reports, two people have died and five have been injured in the incident. Search and rescue teams are working intensively and in a coordinated manner to locate any other possible victims who may be trapped under the rubble,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, footage of the collapse that occurred this afternoon in Cappadocia has emerged, showing the moment when one of the fairy chimneys crumbled. The footage shows a cloud of dust enveloping an area of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a monastic complex carved into the rock and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, which is one of the most visited sites in Cappadocia.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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