13 people die in avalanche in southern Russia. Most were National Guard troops who had traveled there for training.

An avalanche in the Bezengi Gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria, southern Russia, claimed the lives of 13 people on September 6. The disaster struck the area near Mount Mizhirgi, burying a group of 33 climbers. While ten individuals managed to escape on their own, six were injured and later hospitalized. By September 9, rescuers had recovered the bodies of 13 deceased climbers, with further searches ongoing for four additional victims.

The incident primarily affected National Guard troops and security personnel who had traveled to the region for mountain training. According to reports, 12 of the deceased were from the National Guard, while others were security personnel from various forces, including the elite "Vityaz" Special Forces Center of Rosgvardiya. The federation acknowledged that the training exercise was conducted safely, with experienced climbers participating at a site deemed secure.

The Bezengi Gorge disaster stands as the deadliest mass fatality event in Russian mountains since 2002, when a film crew filming a movie lost at least 125 lives in a glacial collapse. Russia has experienced four such mass fatalities over the past 25 years, according to state news agency TASS. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the incident, citing negligence as the charge.