Pravda Ru
Avalanches trap 50 vehicles in Russia’s south
04/04/2005 13:48
For the time being rescuers saved only 15 people
Massive avalanches blocked about 50 vehicles in the tunnel on
the trans-Caucasian highway, which connects Russia and Georgia. A
Ford minibus with 15 passengers found itself trapped between two
avalanches. No one was injured in the accident: the people left the
bus, climbed over heaps of snow and went to the nearest settlement,
Itar-Tass reports.
Rescuers have already saved 15 people that were trapped between the
avalanches, the chairman of the local EMERCOM department, Vladimir
Ivanov said. The accident happened on March 31st overnight, shortly
before it was decided to close traffic on the highway.
“The people were going from Armenia in a Ford minibus. We were informed
about the vehicle approaching from the opposite side of the pass,
although the bus never arrived. It became clear that it had been
trapped between avalanches. We showed the people the way out of snow
heaps, although the bus had to stay on the highway,” Ivanov said.
“The people are currently staying in the settlement of Nar, in the
mountains. It is impossible to take them elsewhere for the time being,”
RIA Novosti quoted Vladimir Ivanov as saying. “It will be possible take
the people out only after specialists provoke avalanches from two other
mountains, in order not to risk rescuers’ lives” the official added.
Vladimir Ivanov also said that fog and snow returned zero visibility
on the Trans-Caucasian highway. The layer of snow reaches almost
two meters.
Read the original in Russian: (Translated by: Dmitry Sudakov)