Tourismupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 12 March 2011Turkey’s Cappadocia Fairy Chimney Collapse Kills At Least Three, Injures Five
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Heavy rain triggered landslide, causing fairy chimney collapse near Göreme Open-Air Museum. Death toll reported as two, later updates indicate three dead and five injured.
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Cappadocia rockfall kills
Parts of a large volcanic rock formation known as a fairy chimney crashed down in Turkey’s popular tourism destination of Cappadocia on Thursday, killing at least three people and injuring five others, officials said.
Gov. Huseyin Kok said recent heavy rains likely caused the collapse, which occurred near a parking lot at an entrance to the site, and rescue teams continued searching for other people who may be trapped under the debris.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said an investigation was launched into the incident, as authorities deployed medical and rescue teams to the Goreme region.
The collapse happened near the open-air museum in the central town of Göreme, which is described as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and local media reported the collapse occurred at about 15:15 local time.
Heavy rain triggered a landslide that sent rocks falling in Cappadocia, killing at least two people and injuring five others, with emergency and rescue teams dispatched near Goreme Open Air Museum in Nevsehir province.
Officials hope no more
Gov. Huseyin Kok told officials, "We hope that there are no other casualties," and he said rescue teams were continuing to search for other people who may be trapped under the debris.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek warned there could be "other potential victims" still trapped, while local media reported the collapse could have been triggered by heavy rain.
A rock formation known as a fairy chimney collapsed in Turkiye’s Cappadocia region, reportedly killing at least two people.
The governor of Niğde Province, Hussein Kök, announced that a landslide caused by heavy rains led to the collapse of a rock column in the tourist area.
BBC said Nevşehir provincial Governor Hüseyin Kök said the victims' bodies had been recovered from under the rubble, and it added that the justice minister said a search and rescue operation was continuing at the site.
Tourism site and inquiry
Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site famed for its distinctive rock formations and ancient underground cities, and it described the region as one of the country’s most visited tourism locations.
The BBC said the Cappadocia region attracts tourists from around the world who want to see the ancient fairy chimneys, tall cone-shaped rock formations created by volcanic activity.
Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1985, and it described the Goreme Open Air Museum as a complex of churches, chapels and monasteries carved into the rock.
The collapse occurred on Turkey’s Republic Day holiday, when the area would have been crowded with visitors, and it reported that HaberTurk showed heavy machinery removing chunks of rock from the foot of the formation.
Authorities continued rescue and investigation efforts as Justice Minister Akin Gurlek launched an investigation, while Gov. Huseyin Kok said rescue teams were continuing to search for other people who may be trapped under the debris.
