Shocking footage shows the moment pedestrians were buried when huge chunks of ice and snow fell from the roof of a mosque in Turkey.
According to the Independent, two women were hospitalised following the incident, which took place in the Black Sea city of Rize, in north-eastern Turkey.
The footage begins by showing people going about their daily lives with one woman seen casually brushing snowflakes off a friend’s jacket.
But, just seconds later, an enormous amount of snow and ice comes tumbling down from the roof above and people run for shelter. The surveillance footage then shows the frantic scenes as people rush to rescue those buried underneath the snow, digging them out with their hands.
Andalou Agency has reported that a cold snap has hit the north-eastern part of Turkey, causing widespread disruption to daily life in the region, with many areas paralysed by heavy snowfall in recent days.
Temperatures have plummeted to -14C in the eastern Ardahan province, causing road closures, flight cancellations and disruption to schools.
The icy conditions were also blamed for a deadly road accident in central Turkey which left five people dead and 25 injured when a bus crashed into a vehicle that had overturned on a motorway.
The cold weather is expected to last until the end of next week.
