At least 17 mountaineers have lost their lives as a result of the avalanche recorded on September 6 in the Bezengi gorge, located in the Caucasus region that serves as a natural border between Russia and Georgia, according to the most recent official balance released by the authorities.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria has reported the discovery of a new lifeless body, number 17, which has been evacuated by helicopter to Nalchik, the regional capital.
The snow and rock avalanche occurred on September 6 and surprised a group of 33 climbers; ten of them managed to return on their own to the valley, although some had various injuries.
Since that moment, the authorities have deployed a large search and rescue operation with the aim of locating the people who remained missing after the tragedy.