Almost 40 people were killed in eastern Turkey Wednesday by a second avalanche which buried a team of rescuers searching for people hit by the first the day before.

The bodies of 33 rescue workers and civilians were discovered in Van province, where they had been helping dig out a minibus buried by snow late Tuesday, the government"s disaster agency said.

Five people aboard the vehicle were killed, taking the overall toll to 38, and eight people had been rescued alive from the first avalanche whilst a total of 53 were injured following a second avalanche between Bahcesaray and Catak districts.