Avalanche

The year 2020 hit an all-time record in Turkey for witnessing the most extreme weather incidents, with 984 cases of flood, hail, heavy precipitation and storms.

The body of another soldier trapped by the avalanche in southeastern Turkey was recovered on Dec. 28, raising the death toll from the incident to two.

The avalanche hit the site on Sunday while soldiers were working to clear snow off a road near a military base in the Şemdinli district of Hakkari province.

Avalanche killed five people in Dachstein, according to Austrian media. According to police information, the five were Czech citizens. Winter sports lovers were swept away by the avalanche this morning at about 9:30 am (10:30 Bulgarian time).

The incident happened at an altitude of between 2,700 and 2,800 meters.

The second month of 2020 saw numerous environmental disasters that impaired climate change and vice versa, including Storm Ciara across Europe, swarms of locusts in East Africa, deadly avalanches in Turkey, and a volcanic eruption in Japan.

Here is a look at the global environmental disasters during the previous month.

Feb. 3:

Search and rescue efforts were suspended late on Feb. 6 at the site of two avalanches in eastern Turkey that killed at least 41 people, according to officials.

Van Governorate said rescue efforts will resume for a firefighter after an evaluation of weather and other conditions are completed Friday.

The Interior Ministry has assigned three inspectors for an investigation into death of at least 41 people in two avalanches in Turkey's eastern province of Van, according to a statement Feb. 7.
Three civil inspectors will "inquire and investigate every aspect of the two avalanche incidents," the statement said.

A score of Turkish search and rescue team members who were caught in an avalanche on Feb. 5 have been saved, but 11 died, said authorities.

At least five people are dead and others are feared trapped following an avalanche in eastern Turkey's Van province, authorities said on Feb. 4.

"Seven people were rescued during the search. Unfortunately, five others were found dead under the snow," said Van governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez.

Bulgaria's Mountain Rescue Service on 31th of January warns of high danger of avalanches in the mountains. 

There is considerable avalanche danger where the storm-strong winds have deposited fresh snowdrifts on the slopes.

One skier is enough to trigger an avalanche in such locations, the rescue service warns.

Naturally triggered avalanches can also be expected.

At least 57 people have died in avalanches in Pakistan-administered parts of Kashmir, Reuters reported. There are also missing people, but their exact number is unknown.

In neighbouring India, at least 10 people have died in several avalanches.