The bodies of two Russian tourists have been found in Far East Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after their hiking group got lost in a blizzard earlier this week, local authorities said Friday.
In addition to the two deceased hikers, five tourists were found alive and safely evacuated.
According to the local government, the group set out on March 28, and “seven tourists continued their route following an internal conflict, without a tent or satellite phone.” Authorities added that a severe blizzard, which began on Wednesday, complicated the group’s movements.
The missing tourists were found in the area of the Avachinsky Pass, with the five survivors showing signs of severe frostbite.
The survivors were evacuated by an Emergency Situations Ministry Mi-8 helicopter and handed over to medics.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families and are doing everything possible to support them during this difficult time,” the Kamchatka regional government said in a statement, adding that the search operation has concluded.
Local media have offered conflicting reports about the group’s numbers and what happened. What is clear is that two tourists identified as Sergei V., 24, and Fyodor, 22, were found dead by authorities.
One local media outlet, Kamchatka Inform, reported Friday that a group of seven, including Sergei V. and Fyodor, continued their hike after two others split off from a group of nine following a group dispute. The two hikers who split from a larger group finished their hike safely, according to the outlet.
Kam 24, another outlet, reported that the two deceased hikers were the ones who broke away from the larger group of seven. However, Kam 24 also reported that a group of eight tourists, described as long-time friends who had gone on numerous joint trips, reportedly registered with Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry ahead of the March 28 trek.
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