Russian news sources reported on Saturday that five climbers on Eurasia’s tallest active volcano perished in an accident, and rescuers are attempting to retrieve two injured climbers.
The climbers were attempting to reach the summit of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano when the disaster occurred approximately 500 meters below the 4,750-meter summit, according to the prosecutor’s office of the Kamchatka district.
The climbers were all Russian, according to the accounts. The accident’s specifics were not immediately revealed.
On its northwestern slope, the volcano erupted a year ago, spewing lava and ejecting volcanic bombs.
Video captures the highest active volcano in Eurasia.
Video depicts lava breakout during the side cone eruption of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Kamchatka.
Published by Reuters on March 19, 2021
In Russia’s far northeast, the Kamchatka peninsula is renowned for its variety of active and dormant volcanoes, hot springs, and plentiful wildlife.
The tragedy is the most recent in a line of recent mountaineering catastrophes involving volcanoes around the globe.
Three climbers perished and twelve were injured last month when they fell while ascending the Carihuairazo volcano in Ecuador. In June, a woman died and her climbing partner was injured after they scaled the off-limits, highly active peak of Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano.
In July, an American tourist had to be rescued from the crater of Mount Vesuvius near Naples after falling in while attempting to retrieve his dropped cell phone.