The number of climbers killed in an accident on Eurasia’s tallest active volcano has grown to eight, according to Russian authorities.
The aircraft carrying a rescue crew was en route to the accident site, according to emergency officials.
Russian media first claimed on Saturday that five climbers died while attempting to reach the summit of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula in the country’s far eastern region. The accident occurred approximately 500 meters below the 4,750-meter (15,884-foot) summit, the prosecutor’s office of the Kamchatka area was quoted as stating in the reports.
The climbers were all Russians, according to the accounts.
Four survivors of the tragedy were waiting for rescuers at various heights. Officials told Reuters that one individual is believed to have suffered a broken leg.
According to Reuters, frigid winds thwarted a first rescue attempt on the peak, where nightly temperatures can drop to as low as 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
On its northwestern slope, the volcano erupted a year ago, spewing lava and ejecting volcanic bombs.
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.