Six climbers plunge 13,000 feet to their deaths while ascending notorious volcano as others remain trapped
KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA: At least 6 climbers, who were ascending Eurasia's tallest active volcano have died after falling from 13,000 ft. Rescuers are trying to extract two injured climbers, Russian local media reported on Saturday, September 03, according to Daily Mail.
The climbers were trying to ascend to the top of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia's Kamchatka region when they fell from about 500 meters below the 4,750-meter (15,884-foot) summit, the reports cited the prosecutor's office of the Kamchatka region as saying, "While four of the climbers died right after falling the dangerous height, 2 climbers died shortly afterward."
ALSO READ
The identities of the climbers have not been revealed by the officials but it is believed that another 6 climbers are stranded on the summit due to bad weather. The emergency ministry confirmed that they have sent rescuers to the Volcano but the altitude being too high for the helicopter to reach, they would have to walk to the site of the accident by foot from 3,300 meters.
All the climbers are identified as Russian nationals and their climbing was organized by a tour operator from the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. As per the report by the prosecutor’s office, two of the climbers were sheltering in a camp at 3,300m (10,827ft) above sea level, while another four located their camps at 4000m (10,827ft). The group including two guides started climbing the summit on Tuesday, August 30. One of the guides got his leg broken but the condition of the other guide is not revealed.
Formed 6000 years ago, Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the tallest Eurasian active volcano. The first eruption of the volcano was recorded back in 1697. The volcano is Siberia's highest mountain and is located some 4,225 miles east of Moscow. The government has branded it as the most dangerous Russian volcano. In March, the volcano spewed ash clouds 20,000ft into the air. It has had over 100 eruptions in the past 300 years, according to the Global Volcanism Programme.
This is not the first time that climbers have died after falling from a tall volcano. Back in 2017, three people - an 11-year-old boy and his parents - died after they fell into boiling mud in a volcanic crater in Pozzuoli, an Italian city not far from Naples. The family of three was visiting a shallow volcanic crater frequented by tourists when the boy entered the restricted area and fell into a nearly 10-foot (3-metre) deep pit. He called his mother and father to rescue him but sadly even they ended up falling into the pit.