Five climbers from Bosnia are feared dead after being caught in a powerful storm on Mount Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe, according to a Bosnian climbing rescue organization that made the announcement on Sunday as Russian search teams pressed on with their recovery efforts.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry confirmed that two members of the group had been rescued and transported off the mountain to receive medical attention.
The ministry also reported that the bodies of two additional climbers from the same group had been found on the mountain at an elevation of 5,350 metres — roughly 17,550 feet above sea level. Those remains will be brought down once weather conditions improve. The search for three more bodies is still underway, though the ministry did not identify the nationalities of those involved.
Mount Elbrus stands at 5,642 metres, or about 18,510 feet, and is located just north of the Russian border with Georgia. The peak has a well-known reputation for sudden and dangerous shifts in weather and climbing conditions.
According to Bosnian media reports, all seven members of the climbing party were residents of Zenica, a town in central Bosnia. The group reportedly included a married couple as well as a physician who was employed at a local hospital in the area.
Russian media outlets noted that high winds and other harsh weather conditions had made search and recovery operations significantly more difficult for rescue teams working on the mountain.
