Massive Snowslide Strikes 5,000-Meter Mountain, Leaving 11 Climbers Dead

[Anchor]

While the shock of the massive floods in Nepal still lingers, a large-scale avalanche in southwestern Russia has left 11 climbers dead. Six others remain missing, and rescue operations are facing difficulties due to the rugged terrain and the risk of further avalanches.

Reporter Gwak Sang-eun has the details.

[Reporter]

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a massive mound of snow cascades down from the mountain peak.

Enormous amounts of snow and ice sweep down to the base of the mountain in an instant, kicking up a cloud of dust.

[Oh, dear god.]

On the afternoon of the 6th local time, a massive avalanche occurred on Mount Mizhirgi in the Bezengi Gorge of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in southwestern Russia.

It struck a group of 33 people climbing the area. While 10 managed to escape on their own, 11 were killed and 6 were injured.

The status of the remaining 6 people is still unconfirmed.

Russian authorities are searching for the missing, but they are struggling due to the rugged terrain and the risk of additional avalanches.

[Kantemir Berov / Regional Spokesperson, Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations: We currently have over 50 personnel deployed for the search operation. However, we are facing difficulties due to the rugged terrain and the risk of avalanches.]

The Bezengi Gorge, where the accident occurred, is a prominent high-altitude region in Russia densely populated with peaks over 5,000 meters and glaciers.

The exact cause of the avalanche has not yet been determined, but the impact of climate change is being discussed.

Glaciers in the northern Caucasus Mountains, which spanned approximately 1,382 square kilometers in 2000, shrank by 23% over 20 years. As glaciers in the Caucasus region melt rapidly due to global warming, large-scale mountain disasters are occurring consecutively.

In 2002, the collapse of the Kolka Glacier in North Ossetia, Russia, buried a village and left over 120 people dead or missing. In 2023, a massive landslide triggered by melting glaciers in Shovi, northern Georgia, killed 33 people.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol, Video Source: X @BowesChay · X @irene_makarenko)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.