Three killed in rock spire collapse at tourist site in Turkey’s Cappadocia

Three people, including a foreign national, were killed on Thursday when a rock spire collapsed in Turkey’s UNESCO-listed Cappadocia region after a landslide triggered by heavy rain, officials said.

Turkey’s Cappadocia region, a magnet for tourists from around the world, is home to cone-shaped rock formations known as “fairy chimneys,” created by ancient volcanic activity.

“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 p.m. 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.

“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“Our teams have been withdrawn after determining there is no further need to continue operations at this stage,” he said.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.