Avalanche Reportedly Kills 7 Mountaineers

Seven climbers, believed to be three Britons and four Russians, died in an avalanche in the Kabardino-Balkaria region in the Caucasus, Russia’s emergencies ministry said. The mountaineers were climbing the Uzhba peak in the Elbrus range near Russia’s border with Georgia when an avalanche struck, said Natalia Shakhgedanova, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Situations Ministry in Moscow. She said the regional ministry branch had informed the Moscow office of the catastrophe Monday evening, but she was unsure when the avalanche had occurred. A ministry spokeswoman had said earlier that the climbers were noticed missing Monday. About 70 rescuers launched a search after the group failed to contact base camp.