Rock collapse kills two in Turkey's Cappadocia, local media reports

At least two individuals have been killed and five injured after a rock formation collapsed at a tourist site in Turkey's historical region of Cappadocia, local media is reporting.

Key points

• One of the rock spires, which are known as fairy chimneys, reportedly disintegrated at the popular open-air museum in the central town of Göreme.
• The cause of Thursday's incident was not immediately known, nevertheless local media noted the collapse could have been triggered by heavy rain.
• He continued that a search and rescue operation was continuing at the site.
• The Cappadocia region attracts tourists from worldwide.

Nevşehir provincial Governor Hüseyin Kök remarked the victims' bodies had been recovered from under the rubble, but the justice minister cautioned there could be "other potential victims" still trapped.

Notably, the cause of Thursday's incident was not immediately known, nevertheless local media noted the collapse could have been triggered by heavy rain.

Turkish media documented that the collapse happened near the entrance to the museum – a Unesco World Heritage site – at concerning 15: 15 local time (12: 15 GMT).

In a afterwards post on social media, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated that "according to initial assessments, two individuals have lost their lives in the incident, and five others have been injured".

In practice, the Cappadocia region attracts tourists from worldwide. This person want to see the ancient fairy chimneys – tall, cone-shaped rock formations that are created by volcanic activity.

For now, rock collapse kills two in Turkey' s Cappadocia, local media reports remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.