Two years on, the memories of the two avalanches that claimed 42 lives over the span of two days in the same area in the eastern Turkish province of Van are still fresh. Though avalanches are quite natural in the province known for heavy snowfall and its steep mountains, rescue work in the aftermath can be improved. Authorities aim to do just that by providing professional training for security forces so they are prepared to handle future avalanches.

Some 2,500 people, from police officers and soldiers to paramilitary village guards, recently underwent training courtesy of the local branch of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The personnel chosen work in areas with a high risk of avalanches, including the districts of Çatak, Başkale, Bahçesaray and Gürpınar. In addition to attending theoretical classes, the students also trained in the field on steep, snow-covered slopes near areas already closed to transportation due to avalanche risk.

Ali Ihsan Körpeş, director of AFAD’s Van branch, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that they were working to develop faster, more efficient responses to avalanches. "We examined the examples in other countries on avalanche rescue and reflected them to our training," he said. Körpeş said they formed a team of 200 village guards to be deployed in risky areas for search and rescue. Police search and rescue teams, known as PAK, who are already specialized in rescue work for other emergencies, also joined the training along with officers from the police special operations branch.

Soldiers stationed at outposts on the Iranian border near high-risk areas were also trained to detect potential avalanche spots and how to cross terrain at heightened avalanche risk if they are required to. More training programs will be held with other people working in risky areas, including the Directorate General of Highways crews tasked with clearing snowed-in roads and utility firm employees who work in the field.

Körpeş says they were also working on raising public awareness about the dangers of avalanches and that crews visiting villages will make announcements through loudspeakers near potentially risky areas. He added that they also started mapping potentially dangerous areas in Van, which will enable them to predict the direction of avalanches as well as their size.