Politics
Eleven mountaineers were killed after a massive avalanche struck in Kabardino-Balkaria, a region in Russia’s North Caucasus, while six others are reported missing.
Eleven mountaineers were killed after a massive avalanche struck in Kabardino-Balkaria, a region in Russia’s North Caucasus, while six others are reported missing. Poor weather, difficult mountainous terrain and the risk of further avalanches are creating serious challenges for search and rescue operations.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua, citing local emergency services, reported on Monday that the accident occurred at around 5 p.m. local time on Sunday in the Bezengi Gorge. A massive avalanche reportedly swept down from 5,025-meter-high Mount Mizhirgi, hitting a group of 33 mountaineers.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene following the accident, while an Mi-8 helicopter also joined the search and rescue operation. Three people were safely evacuated and transported to Nalchik.
Emergency services said that by 9 a.m. Monday, 10 mountaineers had managed to descend the mountain on their own, while six people remained unaccounted for. A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched following the accident, involving more than 50 emergency personnel.
Authorities said that, apart from the difficult geographical conditions, the threat of another avalanche remains the biggest obstacle to rescue efforts. Bad weather is also affecting the movement of rescue teams and hampering aerial operations.
The incident is being described as the second major accident this year involving a large number of mountaineer fatalities. Earlier, on July 30, an avalanche struck between Camp 2 and Camp 3 on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, killing 10 mountaineers.
The victims included five Nepali climbers, among them world-renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, also known as “Nims Dai.” The group also included one climber each from Pakistan, Oman, the United States and China.
The incident was described as one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the mountaineering community in recent times.
