Three mountaineers tragically lost their lives in a devastating incident when they were swept away by a massive avalanche while attempting to summit Mount Tosc in the Slovenian Alps.
The trio of climbers from Croatia perished after being engulfed by cascading snow on Sunday, October 5, while on the peak located within the Julian Alps in north-western Slovenia. Despite adverse weather conditions, the group of seven friends, including the three climbers, had sought shelter in a refuge near the mountain’s summit. However, the three individuals decided to descend the mountain, leading to the unfortunate avalanche incident.
Miha Arh, in charge of the rescue operations, confirmed the grim outcome stating, “Regrettably, the three climbers lost their lives in an avalanche.” The bodies were discovered in a ravine situated 350 meters away from the avalanche impact point.
Although search teams located the first body on Sunday night, the search for the remaining two had to be halted due to the risk of additional avalanches, posing a danger to the rescue personnel. Subsequently, favorable weather conditions on Monday allowed helicopters to conduct search operations for the missing climbers, as reported by the French news outlet La Depeche.
Mount Tosc currently experiences particularly unstable weather conditions, with a cold air mass, early snowfall, and strong winds affecting the region. Statistics from the national mountain rescue association reveal that approximately twenty individuals lose their lives annually in such extreme mountain conditions.
Renowned for their scenic beauty and technical climbing challenges, the Julian Alps remain a popular destination for mountaineers. Nevertheless, the recent tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the lethal risks even experienced climbers face in the mountains.
Authorities in Slovenia have emphasized the importance of adhering to safety guidelines and recommended postponing ascents while the avalanche risk remains high. The region is currently under a moderate avalanche warning at Level 3 on the European avalanche risk scale.
In a separate mountain-related incident, rescue teams have successfully reached and evacuated around 350 out of 200 hikers stranded at 16,000 feet on Mount Everest following a severe snowstorm that left trekkers marooned on the world’s tallest peak due to harsh weather conditions.
A hiker caught in the blizzard described the perilous situation faced by those trapped on the mountain before the arrival of rescuers. Chen Geshuang recounted the wet and cold conditions, highlighting the risk of hypothermia and the unexpected and severe weather conditions encountered during their climb.
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