At least two people died and five others sustained injuries when a rock formation collapsed at a tourist site in Turkey’s historic Cappadocia region, local media outlets reported.
Rock Spire Collapses at Popular Museum
The incident involved the disintegration of one of the distinctive rock spires, commonly called fairy chimneys, located at the popular open-air museum in the central town of Göreme. According to Turkish media reports, the structural failure took place near the entrance of the museum at approximately 15:15 local time on Thursday.
Nevşehir provincial Governor Hüseyin Kök stated that authorities had successfully recovered the bodies of the victims from beneath the rubble. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek warned through a social media post that additional people might still be trapped beneath the debris, noting that initial assessments confirmed two fatalities and five injuries.
Search and Rescue Operations Underway
Minister Gürlek reported that emergency responders were continuing search and rescue operations at the accident site. While the exact cause of the collapse remained undetermined immediately following the event, local media indicated that heavy rainfall may have triggered the sudden failure.
The Cappadocia region draws international visitors eager to view the ancient fairy chimneys, which are tall, cone-shaped geological formations shaped by past volcanic activity.
