Rescuers evacuate all tourists entrapped under avalanche

Rescuers completed the evacuation operation of tourists, who were entrapped under an avalanche in Yakutia. A helicopter Mi-8 brought to Yakutsk six extreme skiers, who remained alive, and two died skiers.

Tourist from Yekaterinburg Yuri Zuyev, who received a grave injury in the avalanche, was brought to the emergency medicine center, the press service of the Far East regional center of the Emergency Situations Ministry said. The bodies of Kazan residents Oleg Kuleshov and Artyom Bikushev were passed to the law enforcement agencies. The condition of other five members of the tourist group is estimated as satisfactory, after a medical examination they were allowed to come home.

In a few days after the detailed investigation into the tragic accident, all tourists will return to their native cities, the deceased tourists will be handed over to their relatives.

Tourists en route in northern Yakutia made a satellite phone call on March 25 to Yakutia’s emergency service. Skiers said an avalanche fell down and entrapped three people in the Oymyakon district on Agidel Pass on the western slope of Palatka Mount. Half an hour later the tourists managed to dig up their teammates, but two of them were already dead, and the third one received a spine injury. On the same day a helicopter Mi-8 with a doctor and rescuers flied from Yakutsk to the accident site. They helped the injured tourist and evacuated the tourist group in Yakutsk. The evacuation operation is over on Wednesday.

The tourists went on a tour in the vicinity of the ridges Suntar-Khalta and Yudomsky. The tourist group consisted of eight skiers from Kazan and Yekaterinburg. The sportsmen passed a special training course, but did not have insurance policies and refused from the escort of rescuers citing a big experience of difficult tourist trips. However, the avalanche hit the tourists on the slope of Palatka Mount; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass.

// Mar. 26, 2008