Armenian rescuers find body of Spanish hiker on Mount Aragats

ArmInfo. The Rescue Service of  the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia reported the discovery of  a Spanish climber who went missing after an avalanche on Mount  Aragats on March 11.

As reported by the press service of the Rescue Service of the  Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, 17 rescuers took part in the  search and rescue operations, including 13 specialists from the  Center for Special Rescue Operations, one employee of the Aragatsotn  Hydroelectric Power Station and four climbers from the Armenian  Federation of Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism. A helicopter was  also involved in the search operations. The department noted that the  search operations resumed early in the morning, and by 10:15 the  citizen's body was found.

On March 11, an avalanche occurred on the northern peak of Mount  Aragats, as a result of which a group of nine people ended up under  the snow. Eight of them were able to get out from under the snowdrift  on their own. Later, the department reported that the group caught in  the avalanche were climbers from Spain.  In connection with the  incident, the Ministry of Environment of Armenia warned of a high  probability of avalanches in the mountainous and high-mountainous  regions of the republic, especially on steep slopes at altitudes  above 2,500 meters, given the increase in air temperature by 6-10  degrees from March 11 to 18.  Taking into account the above, the  ministry called on citizens to avoid hiking in the mountains.