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Avalanche Kills 10 In Turkey And 7 In French Alps
Ankara (AFP) Jan 25, 2009 An avalanche in northeastern Turkey engulfed and killed 10 people Sunday with seven others from the group making a miraculous escape, Anatolia news agency reported. Earlier reports had raised the death toll to 11 upon news that one of the rescued could not be revived at hospital. Prosecutor Abidin Bozkan later revised the toll down to 10, saying that there had been a mix-up over names, Anatolia reported. He said nine members of the group were killed on site after being swept away by the avalanche in the Zigana mountains in Gumushane province while the remaining victim died at hospital. Two others were being treated in hospital for various injuries while five others escaped unscathed from the avalanche. Housing and Civil Works Minister Faruk Nafiz Ozak said earlier that a rescue operation was launched after authorities received news around 11:00 am (0900 GMT) that an avalanche hit 17 people walking in the Zigana mountains. "Our pain is great. I extend my condolences to the families of the victims," he said in televised remarks. Rescuers, backed by sniffer dogs, continued their search until around 5:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) and called it off after finding no signs of more people under snow. Earlier reports suggested that the group were all members of a mountaineering club in the neighbouring province of Trabzon, but Anatolia said most were inexperienced and participating in a hike organized by the club. One of the hikers who was rescued from under snow by a team member said that they had been walking in a single line in deep snow when a big block of snow fell on them from above. "We could not run away. I was somewhere in the middle of the line and the avalanche swept me away," 60-year-old Rahmi Keles told Anatolia. "I managed to push away the snow from my face. I was able to breathe and shout for help," he added. The NTV news channel said that the group was in a deep valley at a height of 2,200 metres (7,260 feet) when the avalanche hit them. Officials said the avalanche may have been caused by unusually warm temperatures loosening the snow on the ground. Related Links It's A White Out at TerraDaily.com
UAE mountain covered in rare snow
Dubai (AFP) Jan 25, 2009A blanket of snow has covered a mountain in a part of the United Arab Emirates, a rare phenomenon for the desert Gulf country, local media reported on Sunday. |
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