Five of 19 climbers died after being caught in a snowstorm on Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, Russia.
According to Reuters died a woman in the arms of one of the guides. The woman must have felt unwell on the way up, and decided to turn around.
The rest of the group continued the trip up 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 transported down.
Another broke his foot on the way down from the mountain, after the tour group decided to split the group into three.
– When they went down, two more people died in one of the groups. But the decision to split was the right one, otherwise there could have been more losses, said Denis Alimov, one of those who organized the trip, to the news agency TASS.
20 degrees below zero
14 other members of the tour group were rescued at the top of the Caucasus mountain range. The regional emergency ministry states that there was a strong wind and minus 20 degrees.
The company that organized the trip informs that there were four professional guides who accompanied the climbers. Several of the guides have sustained frostbite and other injuries.
11 of the survivors were transported to hospital, the company states.
– EURPOAS HIGHEST: Mount Elbrus is part of the Caucasus mountain range, and is Europe’s highest mountain. Here there are dozens of climbers every year. Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP
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Several die every year
Elbrus is 5642 high, and is one of Europe’s highest mountains. The mountain is located north of the border with Georgia, and is known for sudden changes in weather and climbing conditions.
Although the ascent is not considered technically difficult, dozens of climbers die on the way to the top every year.
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