Survivor of Deadly Buryatia Avalanche Questioned by Investigators

One of the tourists who survived an avalanche in Buryatia has been questioned by investigators. The man managed to dig himself out of the snow and then helped two companions escape, according to the regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee.

The survivor was interviewed as a witness. He and the two others he helped were the ones who raised the alarm after the disaster.

The group—seven people in total—was not registered with authorities. They were climbing toward Constitution Peak on Friday when the avalanche hit them at a pass in the Munkhu-Sardyk mountain range. The pass is named after the 26th Communist Party Congress.

Rescuers later found three members of the group alive, but also recovered the bodies of three others—one woman and two men. Search efforts continue for the final missing member, a man born in 1985.

Officials have not released the names of the victims or survivors. The investigation is ongoing.