On Thursday, 29 October, rocks broke off a formation known as a „fairy chimney” in Cappadocia, central Turkey. According to authorities in Nevşehir Province, at least two people are dead, while Turkish media report a third victim.
The incident happened around 3:15 p.m. local time (1:15 p.m. in Poland) in the town of Göreme, at the entrance to the Göreme Open-Air Museum. Nevşehir Governor Hüseyin Kök told journalists that the cause was a landslide following heavy rainfall. Rock fragments fell onto an area where people were present, he told Reuters.
Casualties and injuries
According to the governor, rescuers have found the bodies of two people and reached one injured person. Later, Turkish broadcaster NTV, cited by the APA agency, reported that the body of another person had been found, which would bring the death toll to three. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek wrote on social media that, according to preliminary findings, two people died and five were injured (as reported by the BBC). Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said that five injured people had been taken to hospitals and that their condition was assessed as good.
The toll is not final. Rescuers are still searching the rubble, and the justice minister warned that there may be „other potential victims.” Police, gendarmerie, medics and the AFAD disaster and emergency service are on site, and a crisis management centre has been activated. The nationalities of the victims have not been disclosed.
Investigation and circumstances
The prosecutor’s office in Nevşehir has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the collapse, according to RMF24, citing Turkish official statements. The region had seen rain and strong winds for several days, and hot air balloon flights, Cappadocia’s main attraction, were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday, according to RT. The governor spoke of a landslide, but some media note that the full causes have not been established.
Similar events have happened before. In September 2025, part of another „chimney” in Göreme collapsed; no one was injured then, and officials pointed to temperature fluctuations. In 2024, a Turkish UNESCO commission decided that the endangered cap of one of the formations in the Paşabağlar valley should collapse naturally, with tourist safety ensured, as tovima.com recalls.
What it means for readers in Poland
Cappadocia is one of the more popular destinations for Polish tourists in Turkey. At the time of publication, it was not reported whether any Poles were among those affected. Travellers planning a trip should check the announcements of their tour operators and local authorities, as access to the accident area has been restricted and weather is forcing balloon flights to be cancelled. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also publishes traveller information on gov.pl in its section on Turkey.
