The number of fatalities in the mountains of Kabardino-Balkaria has increased.

Rescuers evacuated the bodies of 12 climbers from the Bezingi Gorge in Kabardino-Balkaria, who died as a result of an avalanche. The National Guard confirmed that among the dead are agency employees.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 6, an avalanche covered a group of climbers in the Bezingi Gorge. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, there were 33 climbers in the group, of which 10 descended independently, and another six were hospitalized with injuries. By September 7, the death of 11 people was confirmed, while the fate of six remained unknown.

Rescuers in Kabardino-Balkaria evacuated by helicopter the bodies of 12 climbers who died in a snow and ice collapse in the Bezingi Gorge. The bodies were delivered to the Bezingi base camp and handed over to law enforcement, reported the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kabardino-Balkaria on its “VKontakte” page.

The agency noted that the fate of another five climbers remains unknown. The search and rescue operation was suspended by evening due to worsening weather conditions, and it is planned to resume at dawn on September 9.

Sources linked to security forces Telegram channels Baza and SHOT reported earlier in the day that the bodies of 13 deceased had already been found, but the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kabardino-Balkaria did not confirm this information. The channels also claimed that the deceased climbers were special forces fighters of the National Guard “Vityaz”.

The press service of the National Guard confirmed that the climbers were representatives of the agency, but denied that they were special forces of “Vityaz”.

“Part of the group of climbers who died in the avalanche in Kabardino-Balkaria are representatives of the National Guard. (...) The information about the death of servicemen of the Central Special Forces Unit “Vityaz”, published earlier in some sources, is not true,” the statement on the official website of the National Guard said.

The death of climbers in the Bezingi Gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria has become the most massive incident in Russian mountainous areas in a quarter of a century, notes TASS, citing its own calculations.

"Caucasian Knot" reported on other accidents in the mountains of Kabardino-Balkaria. Thus, in mid-August, two climbers died and at least two were injured. At the end of July, while climbing Elbrus, five climbers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and one resident of the Krasnodar region died. In mid-July, while descending from Elbrus, a 48-year-old climber from Malaysia died, who was in an unregistered group with two guides.

On July 10, two climbers fell into the Adyl-su gorge in Kabardino-Balkaria while climbing Mount Via-tau. One died, the other sustained multiple injuries. On July 7, a climber from St. Petersburg died suddenly on Elbrus.