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German tourist injured in avalanche near Mount Elbrus evacuated

The Russian Emergencies Ministry says the man's condition is serious, but stable, the search for the second tourist continues

NALCHIK, July 5. /TASS/. A helicopter of the Russian Emergencies Ministry has evacuated a German tourist who has been injured during a snow avalanche descent in the vicinity of Mount Elbrus (Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria republic). The man’s condition of serious, but stable, spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry’s department for the republic Kantemir Berov told TASS on Tuesday. The man got multiple fractures.

"The helicopter evacuated the injured tourist, he is in serious, but stable condition. The search for the second tourist continues, the rescue operation may take a long time, as he was the avalanche dragged him into a crack", he said.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, at 16:45 pm, Moscow time, the helicopter with the injured tourist landed at Nalchik airport, the tourist was transferred to the Centre for Disaster Medicine. He will later be taken to the Republican Clinical Hospital.

According to earlier TASS reports, two tourists from Germany have been hit by an avalanche in Russia’s North Caucasian Kabardino-Balkaria republic, one of them is reported missing. "We have found one of the tourists, and the second is so far missing. The search of the area where the man may stay is currently underway. An additional team of 10 people has been dispatched to the search area", said the source.

Tourists from Germany failed to notify the emergency services about their climbing on Elbrus. The avalanche came down on the people during the descent, not far from the Garvash pass, the search and rescue team said.