Three climbers have been killed in a deadly avalanche in the Slovenian Alps after they were swept away by a huge snowslide while attempting to climb Mount Tosc
Three mountaineers have perished in a devastating incident after being swept away by a colossal avalanche whilst attempting to scale Mount Tosc in the Slovenian Alps.
The trio of Croatian climbers met their fate when they were engulfed by cascading snow on Sunday October 5 whilst on the peak, which forms part of the Julian Alps in north-western Slovenia.
The three were amongst a larger party of seven mates who had been taking shelter in a mountain hut near the summit, with the trio reportedly opting to make their descent despite appalling weather conditions.
Miha Arh, head of rescue operations, said: “Unfortunately, the three climbers died in an avalanche.” The bodies were discovered in a gully 350 metres from where the snowslide hit.
Search crews located the first body on Sunday evening, but the hunt for the remaining climbers was abandoned due to the threat of further avalanches putting rescue teams at risk. By Monday, conditions had improved sufficiently to permit helicopters to launch and search for the missing party, according to French news outlet La Depeche, reports the Mirror.
Weather conditions are said to be “particularly unstable” on Mount Tosc as a blast of frigid air has swept across Slovenia, bringing with it unseasonable snow and fierce winds. Statistics from the national mountain rescue association reveal that approximately twenty people lose their lives annually in these harsh conditions.
The Julian Alps remain a favoured spot for mountaineers, celebrated for their stunning scenery and demanding climbing routes. Yet as this recent tragedy demonstrates, the peaks can prove fatal even for seasoned climbers.
Slovenian officials have urged mountain enthusiasts to heed safety guidelines and delay any climbs whilst avalanche danger remains elevated. A moderate avalanche alert is currently active for the area, sitting at Level 3 on the five-tier European avalanche risk scale.
In separate news, the final 200 trekkers stranded 16,000ft up Mount Everest have at last been reached by rescue crews following a fierce snowstorm that left hundreds marooned on the world’s highest summit.
Emergency teams have already evacuated approximately 350 individuals to safety after hundreds became trapped when brutal weather battered the mountain from Friday through Saturday, with heavy snowfall and rainfall leaving adventurers stuck on the isolated ascent.
One trekker caught in the blizzard outlined the perilous conditions faced by those marooned on the peak before help arrived. Hiker Chen Geshuang said: “It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk… “.
“The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly,” Chen added.
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