Two Turkish mountaineers die during climb on Russian mountain

ANTALYA

Two Turkish mountaineers who had traveled from Türkiye to climb Russia’s Mount Elbrus lost their lives during the ascent due to hypothermia.

The Turkish climbing team, comprised of five individuals, arrived in Russia on April 20 to scale Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5,642 meters and is considered the highest peak in Europe.

During their ascent on April 22, the group reached the summit but was subsequently struck by extreme cold and hypothermia.

Two of the climbers, Adnan Sarı and İzzet Köseoğlu, were able to descend the mountain by themselves and alerted the Russian rescue teams.

In response, Russian authorities deployed a six-person high-altitude rescue team, which successfully reached another member, Cihan Yıldırım, who was found suffering from extreme cold and was rescued just in time.

However, two other climbers, Mehmet Kocaakça and Kazım Güler, were found dead at the scene.

The Russian Emergency Ministry confirmed that the group sent a distress call from an altitude of 5,300 meters. “Two climbers were found deceased, one was rescued, and two others made their way down independently,” the statement said.

According to the sources, Russian authorities initiated search and rescue operations the same day despite harsh weather conditions.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the Turkish Embassy in Moscow and the Consulate General in Krasnodar coordinated with Russian authorities after the incident.

The three climbers are expected to return to Türkiye. 

While an investigation was launched into the incident, Turkish consular staff who traveled to the region managed the repatriation of the deceased climbers' remains.