Calls to Ask Professional Rescuers to Find Missing Climbers Remain Unheard

Baku / 04.12.18 / Turan: The corresponding state structures did not react to proposals to invite Russian mountain rescuers to search for the three missing mountaineers on the slope of Mount Tufan in the Guba region of Azerbaijan.

It should be reminded that Namin Bunyadov, Farida Jafarzadeh and Babur Huseynov left the mountainous village of Khynalyg (2,300 m above sea level) on 23 December to climb Mount Tufan (4,195 m). After that, the connection with them was interrupted, but only three days later the responsible persons reported on missing the three.

The search for the climbers began only on December 27, but it did not yield results.

According to the participants of the rescue work, who are experienced climbers, the searches are conducted by disparate groups that do not have special training and do not possess the necessary skills.

"Judging by the state of the relief, two avalanches descended from the slopes of Mount Tufan, one of them at the end of December. Most likely, this very avalanche buried the mountaineers under its snow. In the Mount Tufan corridor, traces of the three were seen, and the size of one trace was small, which allows us to conclude that it was a girl," one of the rescuers told Turan.

According to the same source, the height of the snow cover at the base of the avalanche is at least 5 meters and it was there until the last moment that the search for the missing was conducted.

According to the experienced mountaineers, there is practically no hope of finding the missing three alive.

At the same time, the relevant state departments do not answer the numerous questions: who let the mountaineers into the mountains at the height of winter, without reliable communication and without ensuring the creation of a rescue team in advance, as required by the laws of mountaineering.

Instead, the public watches how the Ministry of Ecology is trying to blame the Ministry for Emergency Situations, and this one is trying to put the blame on the Ministry of Ecology.

According to observations of the climbers involved in the search for the missing, most likely they decided to climb the steep central corridor of Tufan, where they fell under the avalanche.

However, this is still only a guess, for it was not possible to find the climbers" tent or any of their things.

The answers to these numerous questions are to be given to the investigation, which must be carried out with the utmost care, with the participation of experienced mountaineers. The main question that needs to be answered is how it could happen that mountaineering in the country is committed with gross violations and who personally brought mountaineering to such a state.

Recall that a few years ago, the Minister of Ecology Huseyngulu Baghirov created and headed the Federation of Extreme Sports and began "grabbing" mountaineering with the active support of the Minister of Sports and Youth Azad Rahimov. Using administrative resources and strong pressure, they managed to disintegrate the Mountaineering Federation of Azerbaijan, which has 50 years of history.

Along with this, the degradation of this sport began in the country: sports achievements and indicators fell dramatically, and the written and unwritten rules of mountain ascents were forgotten and destroyed.

Today, mountaineering is led by random people who do not have the necessary knowledge or experience, and even have not made any serious ascent. The current tragedy is a direct result of this pernicious policy. -02B-