Overview
- A massive rock-and-snow avalanche struck a group of 33 climbers on Mount Mizhirgi on Sunday, burying multiple people and forcing an immediate mountain rescue operation.
- Authorities have confirmed 11 dead, six missing and six injured, while 10 climbers descended on their own and were accounted for by emergency services.
- More than 50 rescuers backed by Mi-8 helicopters continue search efforts, but teams face steep glaciers, crevasses and the risk of further collapses that slow operations.
- Local reports and circulating video say a rock slide preceded the snow avalanche and that hurricane-force winds may have triggered the collapse, a sequence attributed to Telegram channel Baza and cited in coverage.
- Kabardino-Balkaria officials have opened a criminal probe for alleged negligence, a move that could affect permits, guides and safety reviews for high-altitude routes in the Bezengi gorge.