Three people, including a foreign national, were killed on Thursday when a rock spire collapsed in a Turkish tourist hotspot.
A landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, caused a 'fairy chimney' rock spire to collapse in Turkey's Cappadocia tourist region on Thursday, the local governor said.
'According to initial findings, two people were killed and five others injured in the incident,' Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on X.
Rescue teams later pulled another body from the rubble, bringing the death toll to three, Nevsehir Governor Huseyin Kok said.
One of those killed was a foreign national while the other two were Turkish, he added.
The incident occurred at 3:15 pm local time (1215 GMT) when a landslide triggered a rockfall in the town of Goreme near the open-air museum, the governor said.
Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud noise as the rock spire near a car park collapsed, sending up a huge cloud of dust.
The area was closed to the public after the collapse, according to local reports.
Rescue workers and excavators operated through the night under powerful floodlights before concluding the operation.
A section of the rock formation - known as a fairy chimney - tumbled, prompting authorities to deploy medical and rescue teams (Credit: Lale Haber)
The area was closed to the public following the collapse, according to reports (Credit: Lale Haber)
'As of now, all our operations have been completed. We have finished all checks and inspections,' governor Kok said in an updated statement.
'Our teams have been withdrawn after determining there is no further need to continue operations at this stage,' he said.
An investigation by the chief prosecutor's office, together with expert assessments, will begin on Friday, he added.
Cappadocia , a magnet for tourists from around the world, is home to rock formations known as 'fairy chimneys', created by ancient volcanic activity.
It is a Unesco World Heritage-listed site famed for its distinctive rock formations and ancient underground cities.
It comes as the famous hot air balloon tours in Cappadocia were cancelled this week because of extreme weather conditions including rainfall and strong winds.
In 2024, a freak gust of wind in the area sent a giant hot air balloon packed with tourists straight into one of the fairy chimney rocks.
A gust of wind blew the giant air balloon against the rocks as pilot Caner Uzun was trying to land opposite the Love Valley, according to local media.
Footage showed the balloon deflating as emergency services rush to the scene to examine the passengers. Nobody was injured.
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