Five members of a seven-person Bosnian climbing group died on Mount Elbrus in Russia after being caught in a violent storm around July 24-25, 2026, officials said [1, 2, 3, 4]. The climbers, from Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, included a married couple and a female doctor working at a local hospital [1, 2, 3, 4].
Mount Elbrus is Europe’s highest peak at 5,642 meters and is known for sudden weather changes [1, 2]. The team reached altitudes between 5,100 and 5,350 meters during the incident before the storm struck [1, 2, 3, 4]. Investigators reported that rapidly deteriorating weather forced the group to deviate from their planned route. Two climbers became ill and died at around 5,100 meters, prompting one member to descend to seek help [3, 4].
Russian rescuers recovered the bodies of five climbers at altitudes between 5,100 and 5,350 meters and evacuated two survivors for medical treatment [1, 2]. Adverse weather delayed the full recovery of some bodies [1, 2, 3, 4].
Bosnian Foreign Minister Konaković confirmed the deaths and called the event "a major tragedy" (这是一场重大悲剧) [3, 4]. The climbing group started their ascent on July 24, 2026, with the accident unfolding late on July 25 [3, 4]. Rescuers completed recovery operations and evacuations on July 26, with the Bosnian government publicly confirming details on July 27 [1, 2, 3, 4].
