Buried alive - 21 September, 2002

According to specified information of the operative group of the Northern Osetia Emergency Ministry, working in the Karmadon settlement, where glacier went down, 100 people have got to the disaster area.

Search and rescue services of the Emergency Ministry of Northern Osetia and Ingushetia are working in the area, Interfax correspondent reports.

Motorcar route in Karmadon gorge is blocked by 2-metre-thick barrier of ice, fallen trees and slush at a distance of about 5 km from the Gizel settlement. Together with the rescuers who break through the way upwards the gorge several ambulance cars have arrived to the spot.

The glacier fell at a distance of about 25 km upwards the gorge and went down, while annihilating everything in its way. According to Emergency Ministry of Northern Osetia, as a result of mudflows, at least 30 Karmadon dwellers died and 12 to 15 houses got under stones.
The total number of the victims in Northern Osetia could make 100 people. This was reported on Saturday by the chairman of the republic government, Mikhail Shatalov. To help the rescuers of Northern Osetia, Ingushetia, Karachaevo-Cherkesia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Stavropol Region, the Russian Emergency Ministry aircraft with 27 rescuers aboard flew from Moscow to Mozdok. By the same flight, a light rescue helicopter and equipment for mountain works will be transported.

So far, there is no information about the fate of movie-taking group of producer Sergei Bodrov junior, which shot a film in mountains of Northern Osetia and got to the area of the glacier going-down. The group was accompanied by two policemen who went to the shooting and did not  go in the air since Friday.

Yegor Belous
PRAVDA.Ru