Climbing Elbrus is restricted until the end of September

Until the end of the investigation into the cable car where people died, access to Mount Elbrus for tourists and climbers is restricted, the Ministry of Tourism of Kabardino-Balkaria announced.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, on September 12, as a result of a cable car cable break on Mount Elbrus, three people died. According to the investigation, several more people were injured when the suspended chairs with people fell onto the rocks. Today it became known that the director and chief engineer of the company servicing the cable car have been arrested in connection with the deaths.

Climbing the cable car to Mount Elbrus in Kabardino-Balkaria is restricted until the end of September, TASS Kavkaz reported today, citing the republican Ministry of Resorts and Tourism.

The department called on vacationers to refrain from climbing and hiking along tourist routes to Elbrus during the restrictions.

The restrictions, which apply to tourists and Emergencies Ministry rescuers, were introduced due to the need for investigative actions after the emergency that resulted in the death of three people. “The chairlift station "Mir" - shelter "Bochki" is closed until the completion of investigative measures. For the same reason, the pendulum cable car built in 1970 has also been decommissioned," the department said in a statement.

There are three stages of a modern gondola cable car operating on Elbrus, but they were closed for scheduled maintenance on September 3. Preparations for the winter season will last until at least September 24.

"Kavkazsky Uzel" also wrote that 12 people were injured when the cable car in Nalchik broke on August 8. All the victims were tourists, the head of the republic said. By the morning of August 9, four people remained in the hospital, one patient had undergone surgery.

The cable car in the city park of Nalchik was built in 1968, the main reason for the cable break was said to be wear and tear of the lift. Tourists have repeatedly complained about the condition of the cable car, a ticket for which costs 500 rubles: they wrote that the lift is "very old", "everything is rusty" and "everything is held together by snot", and also criticized the design: "a seat with a chain and that's it".

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