Emergency workers in Kabardino-Balkaria have recovered the bodies of two more climbers after an avalanche in the Bezengi Gorge, raising the total death toll to 14.
The regional press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations announced on the MAX platform on Wednesday, September 9, that the fate of three additional climbers remains unknown.
Rescuers evacuated the two newly discovered bodies by helicopter to Nalchik, where officials handed them over to an investigative team. A group of 33 climbers was caught when the avalanche struck the mountain slope on September 6.
The Bezengi Gorge is situated in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia, near the border with Georgia. Famous among mountaineers as the Caucasus Himalayas, the valley is surrounded by high Alpine peaks, with the regional capital of Nalchik serving as the administrative hub for mountain emergency operations.
Rescuers escape second mountain snowslide
Search operations in the mountain gorge have proven dangerous for recovery teams. Rescuers searching for the missing climbers nearly fell under a second avalanche, but managed to take shelter behind rocks at the foot of Mizhirgi.
Mizhirgi is a prominent mountain peak rising in the Bezengi area of the Greater Caucasus range. The region is renowned for complex terrain, steep vertical walls, and severe weather conditions that make search and rescue work particularly hazardous.
Thirteen of the 14 victims killed in the avalanche were employees of units belonging to Rosgvardiya, Russia's National Guard. The National Guard maintains specialized units trained for alpine tactical operations and rescue support in high-altitude environments.
Search operations to resume at daylight
The regional emergency ministry stated that search efforts are scheduled to continue on September 10, with plans to deploy a Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations Mi-8 helicopter at the onset of daylight.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations, known as EMERCOM or MCHS, is the federal body responsible for civil defense, search and rescue, and disaster relief across Russia. Rescue teams frequently rely on the Mil Mi-8, a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter designed for heavy payload capacity and stability in mountainous environments.
The investigative team in Nalchik will examine the site reports and bodies to carry out official identification and legal procedures required after fatal wilderness accidents in Russian territory.
