Caucasus avalanche on Mount Mizhirgi leaves 11 climbers dead and six missing

Avalanche strikes Mount Mizhirgi

An avalanche swept down the slopes of Mount Mizhirgi in the North Caucasus region of Russia on the afternoon of Sunday, 6 September 2026. The slide occurred at approximately 17:00 local time, corresponding to 14:00 GMT, directly intercepting an expedition group of 33 mountaineers. Mount Mizhirgi stands as one of the highest summits in the Russian North Caucasus, located within the territory of the Kabardino-Balkaria republic. Video recordings from the site documented the snow slide descending the mountainside and sweeping away everything along its trajectory. The disaster took place in the vicinity of the Bezengi gorge, a rugged mountain area known among climbers for containing several of the most difficult and demanding alpine routes across the Caucasus. Local emergency services mobilized responses immediately following the report that the group had been caught in the path of the snow.

Casualties and status of the expedition

Local emergency management officials reported that at least 11 members of the climbing group died when the avalanche hit the slope. Six other mountaineers suffered injuries during the incident and required medical attention. By 09:00 local time on Monday, 7 September 2026, ten climbers had successfully navigated down the mountain on their own without direct rescue assistance. At that point, the whereabouts of six remaining mountaineers remained completely unknown, with emergency teams classifying them as missing. Local authorities stated that the detailed identities of the deceased and injured individuals, as well as the exact environmental conditions that precipitated the slide, have not yet been fully determined.

Ongoing search and rescue operation

A deployment of more than 50 emergency workers and rescue specialists mobilized across Mount Mizhirgi to conduct search and recovery operations. Emergency crews focused their search efforts on finding the six climbers who remained missing beneath the avalanche debris. The rescue mission encountered substantial difficulties from the start due to the steep and inaccessible alpine terrain of the Bezengi area. Responders faced an elevated danger of secondary avalanches, forcing search teams to proceed with strict safety measures to avoid endangering personnel. Geographical barriers and local weather conditions at high altitude continued to limit movement and complicate rescue logistics throughout Monday morning.

Alpine conditions in Kabardino-Balkaria

The republic of Kabardino-Balkaria serves as one of the primary centers for mountaineering, alpinism, and alpine tourism within the Russian Federation. The region encompasses Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe at an elevation of 5,642 meters, which anchors the regional climbing sector. The neighboring peaks of the North Caucasus and the Bezengi gorge consistently draw mountaineering expeditions seeking challenging rock and ice routes. Russian emergency personnel continue their active search on Mount Mizhirgi to locate the six unaccounted-for climbers while monitoring snow stability and the risk of further slides across adjacent slopes.