MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. Rescuers have evacuated a group of 18 backpackers trapped in a ravine by the Kyngyrga River in Buryatia, a mountainous Russian region in east Siberia, the regional emergency services told TASS on Tuesday, adding that no one was hurt.
"Due to the swelling of the Kyngyrga River, a group of 18 tourists found themselves trapped in the ravine on Sunday. They turned out to be experienced travelers and immediately called rescuers using their mobile phones. The Buryatia search and rescue service organized evacuation of the tourists," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the operation lasted for about 24 hours, as the rescuers had to build a river crossing.
"Late at night yesterday, all the tourists were evacuated. No one was hurt," the emergency service reported.
On Monday, a member of another tourist group was reported to have been killed while rafting down the Urik River in Buryatia. The remaining 11 rafters could not make their way out of the hard-to-reach area where the Urik and Dayalyk rivers cross. On Tuesday, a rescue team was dispatched to the site aboard a Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
Last week, heavy rains caused flooding in Buryatia. Roads, courtyards and basements were inundated in the region’s four districts. An emergency was declared in the Dzhidinsky district.