An avalanche at a Russian Arctic ski resort in Norilsk left three people dead and one injured on Saturday, authorities said.
“The bodies of a 38-year-old woman, her one-and-a-half-year-old child and her 45-year-old husband have been found,” said the Investigation Committee, responsible for the main criminal investigations in a statement. Russia.
He added that a 14-year-old “with serious injuries” was found alive, in the snow, and taken to hospital.
The tragedy took place at 12:30 local time at a ski resort northeast of Norilsk, an industrial city with extreme weather conditions located above the Polar Circle, 2,900 kilometers from Moscow.
Four buildings were buried in the snow, according to the Investigation Committee, which did not specify whether the victims were part of the same family.
A volunteer rescuer had told him that only one family of four – that of the manager of the ski lifts – was on vacation there.
“We have a very violent blizzard so there were few people at the station today,” said the volunteer, on the Rossia-24 channel.
In the early afternoon, local emergency services reported that the rescue operation had ended. A total of 242 rescuers and 29 devices were deployed on the spot, according to the authorities.
A video, released by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, showed rescuers clearing snow from above a building completely covered by the avalanche.
An investigation for “non-compliance with security rules” leading to several “involuntary homicides” has been opened.