Final victim recovered in Kabardino-Balkaria avalanche, Russia's deadliest mountain tragedy since 2002
Rescuers have located the last missing body from the avalanche that killed 17 climbers in Kabardino-Balkaria, ending the search operation.
Authorities announced that the search for the last missing climber from the September 6 avalanche on Mount Mizhirgi has been completed, with the body of the 17th victim recovered. The slide struck a group of 33 alpinists in the Bezengi Gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria, leaving 14 bodies identified by September 9 and three individuals still unaccounted for at that time. Subsequent days saw two additional bodies found, and the final recovery brings the death toll to 17.
Among those killed were members of Russia's National Guard who were conducting mountain training. A regional representative of the Emergency Situations Ministry confirmed the operation's end, though the ministry's website had not yet posted the update. This tragedy marks the most lethal mountain disaster in the country since 2002.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the risks of high-altitude climbing and the scale of the loss for Russian emergency services.
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