21 landslide fatalities in Turkey: reached rescue - and buried under snow

Two landslides in the east of the state have buried dozens of people, including rescue teams arriving after the first landslide

21 landslide fatalities in Turkey: reached rescue - and buried under snow

At least 21 people have been killed in a landslide in eastern Turkey, including military police and civilians who tried to rescue victims from a previous landslide - Wednesday, Van County Governor Mahmate Amin Bilmz said 30 people were rescued under the snow.

Interior Minister Suleiman Soilu said earlier that more people were probably buried under the snow without specifying the numbers. He said conditions in the area make it more difficult for the rescue vehicles to operate, adding that one was extracted from a depth of four to five feet under the snow.

Rescue crews were searching for people trapped under a landslide that struck yesterday in the area, killing five people. Eight people were rescued from the same landslide, with the second landslide occurring while rescue crews were searching for two more missing persons.

Documentation broadcast on a local channel showed dozens of people using shovels and rods under snow and strong winds to extract vehicles buried under the snow, and overturned vehicles.

Seeking survivors amid the wreckage: The quake in Turkey's earthquake has risen to 35

Rescue crews at the landslide (Photo: Reuters)

Deadly avalanche in eastern Turkey: 11 rescuers were killed during a scavenger hunt trapped near the town of Batshir, which is at the foot of a mountain in Van Province (Photo: Reuters)