Five Bosnian climbers have died on Mount Elbrus in Russia, the highest mountain in Europe, after a violent storm struck their expedition on Sunday, with the bodies of three still unable to be recovered due to continuing adverse weather conditions including strong winds, Russian and Bosnian authorities confirmed.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said rescuers successfully evacuated two survivors from the mountain and located the bodies of two climbers at an altitude of 5,350 metres. The regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee later confirmed three additional bodies had been found but could not yet be evacuated.
Bosnian media reported all seven members of the expedition were residents of the central Bosnian city of Zenica and included a married couple and a female doctor employed at Zenica’s local hospital.
Russian media said strong winds had severely complicated both the search and recovery operations.
Mount Elbrus rises to 5,642 metres just north of the Georgian border and is notorious for sudden and violent changes in weather and climbing conditions.
