On 29 October, a rock face collapsed in Turkey near the entrance to the Göreme Open-Air Museum in Cappadocia — one of the country’s most famous tourist attractions. Turkish media are reporting fatalities and injuries. Medical staff and rescue workers were dispatched to the scene. The collapse was reported by the NTV television channel and the Milliyet newspaper.
Briefly about the main points
- On 29 October, a rock formation near the entrance to the Göreme Open-Air Museum in Cappadocia, Turkey, collapsed.
- Turkish media are reporting deaths and injuries, but the official death toll has not yet been announced.
- Ambulance crews and rescue services were dispatched to the scene of the collapse.
A rock fell near the entrance to the Göreme Museum
The incident took place in Nevşehir Province, in a tourist region Cappadocia. According to reports in the Turkish media, one of the distinctive rock formations known as «fairy chimneys» has collapsed near the entrance to the Göreme Open-Air Museum.
According to preliminary reports, there have been fatalities and injuries as a result of the rockfall. However, the number of people who may be trapped under the rubble remains unknown.
Following reports of the collapse, ambulance crews, rescue workers and law enforcement officers were dispatched to the museum.
What is known about the victims
The first reports of the tragedy appeared in the Turkish media at around 15:50 local time. NTV reported that there were fatalities and injuries, but did not specify the numbers. The newspaper Milliyet also reported on the casualties.
The causes of the rock formation’s collapse and the extent of the landslide have not yet been established.
What is the Göreme Open-Air Museum famous for?
The Gereme Museum — one of Cappadocia’s main tourist attractions. It is situated amongst rock formations of volcanic origin, which, over the millennia, have taken on unusual cone-shaped forms as a result of erosion.
The museum grounds are home to ancient Christian churches, chapels and monastic buildings, all hewn directly out of the rock.
Since 1985, Göreme National Park and the rock-cut sites of Cappadocia have been included on the World Heritage List UNESCO.
