Death toll rises to 38 as avalanche wipes out rescuers in eastern Turkey
Death toll rises to 38 as avalanche wipes out rescuers in eastern Turkey
Almost 40 people have been killed in an avalanche in eastern Turkey as rescue team search the rubble for survivors.
2 min read
Almost 40 people have died [Getty]
Almost 40 people were killed in eastern Turkey Wednesday by a second avalanche which buried a team of rescuers searching for people hit by the first the day before.
The bodies of 33 rescue workers and civilians were discovered in Van province, where they had been helping dig out a minibus buried by snow late Tuesday, the government's disaster agency AFAD said.
Five people aboard the vehicle were killed, taking the overall toll to 38, and eight people had been rescued alive from the first avalanche whilst a total of 53 were injured following a second avalanche between Bahcesaray and Catak districts.
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Television images showed dozens of people scrambling up the mountains, digging through snow in blizzards to find those trapped under the icy deluge.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca warned the number of casualties could rise as local media reported an unknown number of people could still be under the snow.
The rescuers had been searching for two people from Tuesday's incident, AFAD's Van province chairman Osman Ucar told reporters from his hospital bed.
He was among those injured including former ruling party MP for Van, Gulsen Orhan, who now advises President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Van governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez said rescue efforts continued despite the difficult winter conditions causing transport problems with heavy snow continuing to fall on the mountainside.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said rescuers had paused overnight and resumed their efforts Wednesday morning to find the last two people.
No warning
A snow-clearing vehicle operator Bahattin Karagulle alerted local authorities about the first avalanche after his escaped the snow, Milliyet daily reported.
Dozens of rescue workers have been working around the clock after the first disaster, whilst gendarmerie officers and firefighters provided assisted, along with local residents.
A special military plane with 75 gendarmerie officers and other rescue officials were on their way from Ankara, AFAD and the defence ministry said.
Erdogan spoke to Soylu to obtain information on the efforts, the presidency said.
The president's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, also said on Twitter that "every tool available was mobilised" to help officials.
Christian Berger, the EU ambassador to Turkey, offered his "deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences" as did the US embassy to Turkey on Twitter.
Last month, the eastern province of Elazig was hit by a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake, killing 41 people and injuring over 1,600 others.
A 2009 avalanche in the northeastern province of Gumushane killed 11 climbers in the Zigana mountains.
The bodies of 33 rescue workers and civilians were discovered in Van province, where they had been helping dig out a minibus buried by snow late Tuesday, the government's disaster agency AFAD said.
Five people aboard the vehicle were killed, taking the overall toll to 38, and eight people had been rescued alive from the first avalanche whilst a total of 53 were injured following a second avalanche between Bahcesaray and Catak districts.
Read More: Why Turkey wants to avoid taking sides in the US-Iran standoff
Television images showed dozens of people scrambling up the mountains, digging through snow in blizzards to find those trapped under the icy deluge.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca warned the number of casualties could rise as local media reported an unknown number of people could still be under the snow.
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Almost 40 people have died [Getty] |
The rescuers had been searching for two people from Tuesday's incident, AFAD's Van province chairman Osman Ucar told reporters from his hospital bed.
He was among those injured including former ruling party MP for Van, Gulsen Orhan, who now advises President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Van governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez said rescue efforts continued despite the difficult winter conditions causing transport problems with heavy snow continuing to fall on the mountainside.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said rescuers had paused overnight and resumed their efforts Wednesday morning to find the last two people.
No warning
A snow-clearing vehicle operator Bahattin Karagulle alerted local authorities about the first avalanche after his escaped the snow, Milliyet daily reported.
Dozens of rescue workers have been working around the clock after the first disaster, whilst gendarmerie officers and firefighters provided assisted, along with local residents.
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A special military plane with 75 gendarmerie officers and other rescue officials were on their way from Ankara, AFAD and the defence ministry said.
Erdogan spoke to Soylu to obtain information on the efforts, the presidency said.
The president's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, also said on Twitter that "every tool available was mobilised" to help officials.
Christian Berger, the EU ambassador to Turkey, offered his "deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences" as did the US embassy to Turkey on Twitter.
Last month, the eastern province of Elazig was hit by a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake, killing 41 people and injuring over 1,600 others.
A 2009 avalanche in the northeastern province of Gumushane killed 11 climbers in the Zigana mountains.
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