Three killed as rock spire collapses in Turkiye's tourist hotspot Cappadocia

ISTANBUL: A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall caused a rock spire to collapse in Turkiye's Unesco World Heritage-listed Cappadocia region on Thursday, bringing the death toll to three, officials said.

Turkiye'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.

"Search and rescue teams are continuing intensive, coordinated operations to locate any other victims who may be trapped under the debris," the minister said.

Television footage showed heavy machinery digging through the rubble as rescue teams gathered at the site in an effort to recover people.

Excavators and rescue workers worked into the night at the site, using powerful floodlights as the search operation continued.

Rescue teams were also conducting careful listening operations to determine whether anyone was trapped beneath the fallen rock fragments, periodically calling for silence.

The incident occurred at 3.15pm local time (1215 GMT) when a landslide triggered a rockfall in the town of Goreme near the open-air museum, local governor Kok said.

The area was closed to the public following the collapse, according to reports.

Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud noise as the rock spire near a car park collapsed, sending up a huge cloud of dust.

- RESTORATION -

Turkiye's culture and tourism ministry has launched restoration work in the region to help preserve the fragile rock formations from climate-related damage, natural erosion and human activity.

In 2024, another rockfall was reported in Cappadocia, although no injuries were recorded.

A Unesco heritage site since 1985, Goreme national park and the rock sites of Cappadocia are "a landscape of harmony combining human interaction and settlement with dramatic natural landforms," according to the UN agency.

Some of the cones and pillars have experienced earthquake damage, but this is seen as a naturally occurring phenomenon.

"Overuse by tourists and some vandalism have been reported and some incompatible structures have been introduced," it said on its website.

The Cappadocia region is also home to rock-carved underground cities and early Christian churches.

In 2025, some 4.5 million domestic and foreign tourists visited the region, according to tourism ministry figures.

Hot-air ballooning in Cappadocia is a thriving industry that sees dozens of balloons take to the skies on clear mornings. But concerns have been raised about safety following a series of fatal accidents.

In 2022, two Spaniards were killed and three others injured when their hot-air balloon crashed in high winds.

"Winter Sleep", the acclaimed drama by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan that won the Palme d'Or in 2014, was set in the Cappadocia region.--AFP