Avalance claims 10 lives in N.eastern Turkey

Ten mountain climbers were killed and seven others were trapped under snow yesterday after they were caught in an avalanche in northeastern Turkey. Gumushane Governor Enver Salihoglu said 10 mountaineers had been killed by the avalanche on Mt. Zigana, the site of a small ski resort in the province of Gumushane, near the Black Sea coast. Seven people were pulled from the snow, two of whom were seriously injured. The injured were being treated at a local hospital. The members of a skiing and mountaineering club were taking part in an annual winter sports celebration on the 2,200-meter peak. The seventeen climbers were hiking single-file when the avalanche swept into them. Public Works and Housing Minister Faruk Nafiz Ozak rushed to the province to find out about the avalanche and monitor rescue operations. Both President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Salihoglu to be briefed on the situation and to express their deep sorrow. At the Trabzon Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports today, a ceremony will be held to commemorate the mountaineers who lost their lives.