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Two Ukrainian climbers die in Slovakia’s High Tatra Mountains
BRATISLAVA, Nov 29, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Two Ukrainian climbers, a man and a
woman, fell to their deaths in Slovakia’s High Tatra Mountains amid poor
visibility in a snowstorm, rescuers said on Friday.
Slovakia’s Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) said its rescuers “found two
bodies” late Thursday after a group of 11 Ukrainian climbers reported two
missing people near Lomnicky Peak, according to a statement.
“Both Ukrainian climbers, a man aged 67 and a woman aged 30, suffered fatal
injuries,” it said, adding that the rescue effort took place in difficult
weather, with poor visibility due to falling snow and darkness.
Ukraine’s mountain climbing federation said on Friday that the deaths
occurred “on the descent from the (climbing) route as a result of a terrible
accident”, without going into detail.
Kiev’s “Vertical” mountaineering club identified the climbers as Volodymyr
Mykhalko and Iryna Skrylyova on its Facebook page.
Slovakia’s HZS mountain rescue service said it had moved the bodies to a
morgue in Novy Smokovec, a town in the High Tatra foothills in northern
Slovakia, near the Polish border.
Lomnicky Peak at 2,634 metres (8,600 feet) is one of the highest and most
popular climbing destinations in the High Tatras.
The Czech CTK news agency reported that more people have died in Slovakia’s
mountains so far this year than in 2018 when 32 people lost their lives
there.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1828 hrs