Avalanche hits neighborhood in Van's Çatak district! 1 person missing, 22 houses evacuated

An avalanche that occurred in the early hours of the morning in the Çatak district of Van has left neighborhood residents anxious. The avalanche struck houses belonging to Fahrettin Şavan and Sadun Şavan, located on Sultan Street in the Adnan Menderes neighborhood, which is connected to the district center. While there were no deaths or injuries in the incident, the houses filled with snow masses sustained serious damage.

1 PERSON MISSING, 22 HOUSES EVACUATED

Following the avalanche threat, authorities conducting inspections in the area decided to evacuate 22 houses in the Adnan Menderes neighborhood. As the houses were evacuated in a controlled manner, citizens were temporarily placed in school dormitories. Shortly after, information was shared that an avalanche had also occurred in the Bahçelievler neighborhood. It was alleged that 1 person was injured and 1 person was missing in this incident. Upon receiving the report, many citizens headed to the area, and relevant teams were notified for search and security operations.

AVALANCHE WARNING FROM METEOROLOGY

While it was stated that 105 residential areas in the Çatak district are closed to transportation, the 14th Regional Directorate of Meteorology also issued a warning against heavy snowfall and avalanche risk. The statement included the following: “Intermittent heavy and, in some places, intense snowfall is expected in the southern districts of Van (Edremit, Bahçesaray, Çatak, Gevaş, Gürpınar, and Başkale). Since there is an avalanche danger on steep slopes with high snow cover in the region, it is necessary to be careful and take precautions against potential negative consequences.”

News Source: İHA