Five of the 19 climbers have died after being trapped in a snowstorm on Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia.
according to Reuters A woman died in the arms of a mentor. The woman must have felt unwell on the way, and decided to turn around.
The rest of the group continued the journey to the top, but later ended up in a storm. Two climbers froze to death, and two others lost consciousness and died when they were taken down.
Another broke his foot while coming down the mountain after the tour group decided to divide the group into three.
– When they fell, two more people died in one of the groups. Denis Alimov, one of the organizers of the trip, told the TASS news agency that the decision to separate was the right one, otherwise there would have been more losses.
20 degrees below zero
Another 14 members of the tour group were rescued at the top of the Caucasus mountain range. The Provincial Emergencies Ministry said there were strong winds of minus 20 degrees.
The company that organized the trip reported that there were four professional guides who accompanied the climbers. Many guides suffered from frostbite and other injuries.
The company stated that 11 survivors were taken to hospital.
EURPOAS’ Highest Peak: Part of the Caucasus mountain range, Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe. Here there are dozens of climbers every year. Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP
Many die every year
Elbrus has a height of 5642, which is one of the highest mountains in Europe. Located north of the border with Georgia, the mountain is known for sudden changes in weather and climbing conditions.
Although the ascent is not technically difficult, dozens of climbers die on their way to the summit each year.
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