At least 41 people have been killed and 84 injured after two avalanches hit the mountainside in eastern Van province near Turkey's eastern border with Iran, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority(AFAD) said Thursday.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that 47 people remained hospitalized, with six patients in intensive care but not critical condition.

The two avalanches took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Most of the dead were hit by an avalanche on Wednesday while trying to recover the victims of another snow-slide which happened a day earlier. A batch of 180 search and rescue workers has since been deployed to the scene.

A ceremony was held for 11 military police officers, nine government-paid village guards and two firefighters in Van who were killed by the avalanches. Their coffins were sent to their hometowns for burial.

Until now, more than 700 personnel are doing research and rescue work at scene after experts inspected the terrain situation on Thursday because of concerns about a possible third avalanche.

On Tuesday, the first avalanche hit a stretch of mountain road, pummeling a minibus and snow-clearing vehicle, killing five people and injuring eight.

A team of more than 170 rescuers – including soldiers, firefighters, civilians and village guards – was then deployed the area to search and rescue people believed to be buried in the snow, according to AFAD.

Officials were alerted to the first avalanche by a man who escaped after his snow-clearing vehicle was buried under snow.