TBILISI, DFWatch — Four Russian climbers have been taken by an avalanche in the Kazbegi mountains in northern Georgia. One has been brought to safety alive, the other three are presumed dead. Rescue workers have been unable to find their bodies because of thick fog.

The four tourists January 2 started to climb the Mkinvartsveri, a 5 047 meter high peak.

Shalva Eloshvili from Kazbegi municipality told journalists that Thursday morning there was a avalanche and the climbers were caught up in the snow masses as they were on their way down. The avalanche struck close to Gergeti Church.


One of the climbers, a teenager, survived and was recovered by a rescue team which moved him to the nearest hospital. The others are still buried in the snow.

The rescue team says the boy is safe, and only suffers from frost injury to his fingers.

The search will resume as soon as the weather improves. The last few days there have been restrictions on traffic along the roads leading up to the mountains because of heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.

Last winter, one Russian and two Ukrainian climbers died in two separate incidents during a busy season for rescue workers in the Caucasus mountains.