At least four Russian mountain climbers have been reported missing on Mount Everest following a major earthquake in Nepal that killed more than 2,350 people, Russian media reported Sunday.
Kommersant business daily cited a representative of the Russian tourism industry union as saying four mountaineers had not been in contact since the massive earthquake hit Saturday, while state news agency RIA Novosti reported that a group of three Russian mountaineers was missing, citing the director of a travel agency based in Nepal. It was not immediately clear whether the reports referred to the same group.
The first earthquake, of 7.9 magnitude, hit Nepal on Saturday, followed by an aftershock Sunday of 6.7 magnitude that rocked the area east of the country's capital Kathmandu.
At least 17 climbers were killed by avalanches on Everest set off by the earthquake, and at least 37 others were injured, Nepalese officials have said.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said earlier Sunday that no Russians had been killed or injured in the disaster.
“According to Foreign Ministry data, there are no Russians among the dead or injured. We have also received confirmation that the Russian tourist groups that were climbing Mount Everest are fine,” Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Stepanov told the Interfax news agency.
Other groups of Russian climbers on Everest earlier reported to have been stranded by the earthquake and its aftereffects later got in touch with the Russian Mountaineering Federation.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said Sunday it would send two airplanes to Nepal the same day, with more than 80 rescuers — including medics, mountain climbers, sniffer dogs and psychologists — on board.
Around 250 Russians received aid at the Nepal office of Rossotrudnichestvo, Russia's agency that promotes cultural ties with countries across the world, Interfax reported.
It is Nepal's worst earthquake in the area since 1934, when a quake killed 8,500 people.
Contact the author at i.nechepurenko@imedia.ru
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
