Avalanche kills 11 alpinists and leaves six injured in Russia

An avalanche struck a group of 33 alpinists in the Bezengi gorge, in the Kabardino-Balkaria region, in the Russian Caucasus, killing 11 people and leaving six injured. The accident occurred on Sunday, and witnesses posted on social media images of snow precipitating down the gorge under a blue sky. The Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the casualty toll on Monday. Ten alpinists managed to descend safely, while the whereabouts of six other people remained unknown after the accident. In the early hours of the morning following the disaster, 56 rescuers were participating in the search efforts at the site. The Bezengi gorge is surrounded by some of the highest mountains of the central Caucasus, with peaks exceeding five thousand meters in altitude, being a region known for its mountains and glaciers.