Six Russian climbers are killed after falling at 13,000ft on Eurasia’s highest active volcano

At least six climbers have died ascending Eurasia’s highest active volcano, located in Far Eastern Russia, local media have said.

It is believed that another six climbers are stranded on the 15,884ft Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, in Russia’s Kamchatka region, due to bad weather. 

Four of those killed reportedly died instantly following a fall at 13,000ft, with another two dying shortly afterwards.

The climbers were trying to ascend to the top of the volcano when the accident occurred about 1,600ft below the summit, the reports cited the prosecutor’s office of the Kamchatka region as saying.

Two of the climbers in the group of twelve are believed to be sheltering in a camp at 10,827ft above sea level, with another four in a tent 13,000ft up.

The group, which included two guides, began their ascent on Tuesday. The six people who died are reported to have been killed yesterday.

One of the guides is thought to have broken his leg but the condition of the other climbers is unknown. All the climbers were Russians, the reports said.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka was formed some 6,000 years ago and its first recorded eruption was in 1697.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city on the Kamchatka Peninsula with Klyuchevskaya Sopka in the background

A rescue team begins their trek up the 15,580ft volcano in another bid to reach a stranded climber in 2020

It is regarded as Russia’s most dangerous volcano, and in March 2020 it spewed ash clouds 20,000ft into the air.

It has had over 100 eruptions in the past 300 years, according to the Global Volcanism Programme.  

The volcano is Siberia’s highest mountain and located some 4,225 miles east of Moscow.