Turkey: Avalanche hits rescuers searching for earlier victims

A number of rescue workers are missing after being hit by an avalanche in eastern Turkey while on a mission to find two people who were hit by an earlier avalanche, according to a Turkish official. The rescue teams on Wednesday were called to a highway near the mountain-surrounded town of Bahcesehir, in Van province, after an avalanche struck late on Tuesday, killing at least five people. Meki Arvas, mayor of Bahcesaray, said the second avalanche killed at least eight rescue workers and left 20 others buried under the snow. Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez said 25 emergency service members were rescued and taken to hospital. There was no further information on their conditions. The first avalanche buried a snow-clearing vehicle and a minibus, killing five people and leaving two others missing. The vehicle's operator and seven passengers survived. More soon... SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES