Search for man trapped under quarry landslide suspended due to safety risks

ORDU

Search and rescue efforts for a truck driver trapped under debris following a landslide at a stone quarry in the Black Sea province of Ordu’s Fatsa district have been suspended due to ongoing safety risks, authorities said on Nov. 6.

The incident occurred on the evening of Nov. 5 when a mass of soil and rocks broke loose from a hillside, burying an excavator and a truck working at the quarry site.

The excavator operator, 25-year-old Burak Kilci, was found dead under the debris. However, truck driver 75-year-old Ahmet Şahin remains missing and is believed to be inside his vehicle.

Teams resumed the search at around 9 a.m. on Nov. 6 after operations were halted late Nov. 5 evening due to safety risks.

However, efforts were stopped once again about 45 minutes later as falling rocks and the risk of further collapse made the area unsafe for rescuers. Officials said efforts would resume once conditions are deemed safe.

Ordu Governor Muammer Erol said that the terrain remains highly unstable. “The risk is truly great, but we need to reach the driver,” he said.