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At least two people were killed on Thursday when one of Cappadocia’s famous rock formations, known as “fairy chimneys,” collapsed at a popular tourist site in central Turkey, according to local media.

The formation gave way near the entrance of the Göreme Open-Air Museum in Nevşehir province, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported. Ambulances, health workers and rescue teams were sent to the scene, and a search and rescue operation is underway.

Nevşehir Governor Hüseyin Kök confirmed that the bodies of two victims were recovered from under the debris and that one injured person was taken to the hospital for treatment. Kök blamed a landslide that caused the rock mass to fall, though other reports said the exact cause had not been determined. Footage from the site shortly after the collapse showed a person trapped beneath a large piece of rock.

A crisis response center has been set up in the area, and reports indicate that people may still be trapped under the fallen rocks. Details about the victims, including their identities and nationalities, have not yet been released.

Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s top tourist destinations, known for its fairy chimneys, which were formed over time as volcanic landforms from Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan eroded. The Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, is home to churches and other structures carved into the rock.

Erosion has long been a concern for officials in the region. In 2024, Turkey’s UNESCO National Commission decided to let the cap of an at-risk fairy chimney in nearby Paşabağlar Valley collapse naturally while ensuring visitor safety, with the Cappadocia area president noting that the formations naturally wear down over time.

This is a developing story.