At least two people have been killed and five injured after a rock formation collapsed at a tourist site in Turkey’s historical region of Cappadocia, local media is reporting.

One of the rock spires, which are known as fairy chimneys, reportedly disintegrated at the popular open-air museum in the central town of Göreme.

Nevşehir provincial Governor Hüseyin Kök said the victims’ bodies had been recovered from under the rubble, but the justice minister warned there could be “other potential victims” still trapped.

The cause of Thursday’s incident was not immediately known, however local media reported the collapse could have been triggered by heavy rain.

Turkish media reported that the collapse happened near the entrance to the museum – a Unesco World Heritage site – at about 15:15 local time (12:15 GMT).

In a later post on social media, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said that “according to initial assessments, two individuals have lost their lives in the incident, and five others have been injured”.

He added that a search and rescue operation was continuing at the site.

The Cappadocia region attracts tourists from around the world, who want to see the ancient fairy chimneys – tall, cone-shaped rock formations that are created by volcanic activity.