3 killed in rock spire collapse in Turkey’s touristic 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…
A rock spire collapse triggered by heavy rainfall in the UNESCO-listed Cappadocia region of Turkey claimed three lives and injured five others on Thursday, according to officials. The incident occurred at a popular tourist destination known for its cone-shaped fairy chimneys, formed by ancient volcanic activity. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek reported that two individuals were killed and five injured in the accident, while Nevşehir Governor Hüseyin Kök confirmed the discovery of a third body from the rubble, raising the death toll to three.
Rescue teams continued their intensive search efforts to locate any additional victims trapped under the debris, utilizing heavy machinery and working through the night. The collapse happened at 3:15pm local time near the car park of a town called Goreme, a popular open-air museum. The area was subsequently closed to the public following the incident.
The Turkish culture and tourism ministry has initiated restoration projects in the region to safeguard the delicate rock formations from climate-related damage and human impact. Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, is renowned for its dramatic landscape that blends human settlement with unique natural formations.
The region's popularity among tourists surged to 4.5 million domestic and foreign visitors in 2025, a number that has raised safety concerns due to repeated accidents in recent years.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- 3 dead in rock spire collapse at tourist site in Turkiye's Cappadocia dawn.com
- Three killed as rock spire collapses in Turkiye's tourist hotspot Cappadocia nst.com.my
- 2 dead in rock spire collapse at tourist site in Turkey’s Cappadocia freemalaysiatoday.com
- Fairy chimney rockfall kills two at Turkey's Cappadocia tourist attraction after heavy rain al-monitor.com
- Two dead in rock spire collapse at tourist site in Turkey's Cappadocia channelnewsasia.com
