Tourists Caught in Rockfall in Altai: What is Known About the Tragedy

As a result of the incident, a girl died and two others were injured.

On Monday, October 14, in the Altai Republic, near the mouth of the Kyskhyshtuben River, a tourist group of 12 people was caught in a rockfall. According to the Main Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry for the region, an 18-year-old girl from Berdsk (Novosibirsk Region) died, and two others were injured. Another victim was able to reach the rescuers on her own and was evacuated. At the moment, nine rescuers and two pieces of equipment have been sent to the scene to evacuate the second part of the group and the deceased girl. Izvestia has more details about the incident, as well as what to do in the event of a rockfall.

Rockfall in Altai Mountains: what happened, latest news

A group of tourists from Novosibirsk Oblast was caught in a rockfall in the Ulagansky District of the Altai Republic. The press service of the Main Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry published a report on the incident. The department specified that the incident occurred on Monday, October 14, near the mouth of the Kyskhyshtubek River.

As a result of the incident, an 18-year-old girl from Berdsk in the Novosibirsk region died , and two more people were injured. Before dark, rescuers evacuated another victim and took her to the Aktash hospital with a head injury. "She was walking alone with other members of the group towards the Russian Emergencies Ministry employees," the report says.

There are few details of the tragedy yet. It is known that the Onguday Fire and Rescue Unit No. 8, consisting of nine people and two units of equipment, quickly went to help the second part of the tourist group that remained at the scene of the emergency. Since aviation cannot reach this unit, the evacuation of the victims will take longer. Rescuers expect to complete the evacuation by the end of the day.

It is noted that a group of 12 tourists was registered, their route ran from Aktash to the village of Kurai. The route had the second category of difficulty, its length was to be 54 km. The tourists started on October 13 and planned to finish the hike on October 20. The reserve date was set for October 23.

The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Republic has organized a procedural investigation into the girl's death. According to the department, the tourists included students from the Novosibirsk State University, members of the mountain tourism section.

"The body of the deceased girl will be sent by investigators to an expert institution for a forensic medical examination. In addition, investigators will have to identify the organizer of the tourist trip during which the tourists were injured and give a legal assessment of the actions of the officials of this organization," the department said in a statement.

As NGS.ru specifies, the tragedy occurred on Belenkaya Mountain. The Zolotaya Seredina database reported that there is currently no strong wind in Aktash, but snow has already fallen, and this could hinder the rescue operation. One of the routes was closed yesterday due to snowfall.

Memo from the Ministry of Emergency Situations: what to do if you are caught in a rockfall

Rockfalls are a major hazard when climbing in the mountains. As a rule, rocks are destroyed by water and wind against the background of sharp temperature fluctuations. Getting into the rocks, water freezes and thaws, thereby gradually splitting the massif.

Rescuers remind us that the main danger of rockfalls is their unexpectedness. Rocks fly from the cliff at high speed, and it is difficult to determine the direction of their movement and the landing point due to the uneven terrain. For climbers and mountain tourists, the most risky places are the beds of mountain streams - these are natural gutters along which water flows during rain or when the snow melts. Rockfall beds are usually immediately visible - for example, these can be traces of rock slides or traces of fresh breaks on rocks, as well as scree under the slopes. Rockfalls can even be caused by climbers and tourists themselves, by kicking a weakly fixed stone in the soil or by using a rope ineptly.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations publishes special memos for tourists in case of rockfalls

— dangerous sections of the road must be overcome during the safest daylight hours;

— it is worth crossing stream beds or ravines one at a time, having careful insurance;

- when climbing up and down scree, it is important to keep your distance;

- when descending on fragile rocks, it is important to hold each shifted stone and warn your neighbor about its fragility. A fallen stone should be put aside;

- if a rockfall has started, do not try to run away from it; it is better to move across the rockfall to its edge, since the intensity of movement there is less;

- you can also climb to a higher position, such as a stable rock or tree, or hide behind them;

— if a rockfall cannot be avoided, it is important to lie down on the ground and cover your head with your hands, and, if possible, relax your muscles: this will increase the chances of receiving less damage;

- it is necessary to throw aside sharp and hard objects so as not to get hurt on them.