Eight tourists from Sevastopol, including a 14-year-old teenager, have gone missing during a climb on Mount Elbrus after failing to make scheduled radio contact.
The group embarked on their mountain route two days ago and last contacted organizers at 4:00 a.m. on Monday, August 17. Preliminary reports indicate that the batteries in all of the group's walkie-talkies had died, preventing further communication.
Emergency services were alerted when the group failed to check in on schedule. Telegram channel 112 reported that the group did not make contact on time. The mountain climbing route had been officially registered with emergency authorities prior to the expedition.
Search operation on southern slope
A search operation is currently under way to locate the eight missing hikers. A team of 14 professional rescuers from the Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is actively scouring the southern slope of the mountain.
Mount Elbrus is a dormant volcano located in the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia, within the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic near the border with Georgia. Standing at 5,642 meters above sea level, it is the highest peak in Europe and attracts thousands of climbers each year, though sudden weather shifts make expeditions hazardous. Sevastopol is a port city located on the Crimean Peninsula.
Fatal foreign expedition in July
The disappearance of the Sevastopol group follows previous tragic events on Mount Elbrus earlier this summer. In July, a team of seven foreign tourists reached the summit, but five of them died during their descent.
All five deceased climbers were citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Rescue authorities noted that the group consisted of non-professional climbers who attempted the dangerous ascent without a qualified mountain guide.
The climbers issued a distress signal while stranded on the mountain saddle at an altitude of approximately 5,100 meters. One member of the team managed to descend independently to report that two companions had fallen ill, while emergency workers located a second survivor.
Surviving climber Haris Adilovic said the tragedy occurred because of an inaccurate weather forecast. He explained that although the group was well prepared, the severe natural conditions proved far worse than anticipated. Local guides reported that while weather was favorable on the morning of July 25, high winds later developed with gusts reaching 70 kilometers per hour, creating extremely difficult conditions.
Fatal accident involving child climber
In another incident in July, an 11-year-old boy died during an ascent on Mount Elbrus alongside his father. The accident happened at an altitude between 4,200 and 4,600 meters when a safety rope reportedly snapped as the pair were coming down.
The father and son had previously attempted to climb the mountain the previous year, but turned back 300 meters from the summit when the child became unwell. Telegram channel Mash reported that another hiker traveling with a child had warned the father during the climb that continuing was dangerous, but he chose to proceed anyway.
Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, requested a detailed report on the findings of the investigation into the boy's death. Investigative Committee officers in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic are carrying out the official inquiry.
