The missing tourists in the mountains of Kabardino-Balkaria have been found dead.

Rescuers found the bodies of climbers in the mountains of the Cherek region, who lost contact on September 20.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 21, rescuers began searching for two climbers who went missing on Mount Dykhtau in the Cherek region. On September 22, the mountain area was surveyed by helicopter, but without results.

The climbers have been found dead, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kabardino-Balkaria reported today on its Telegram channel.

"On 23.09.26, rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia found the climbers, unfortunately, without signs of life. A commercial helicopter from the company 'HeliAction' is planned to be involved for the evacuation of the bodies of the deceased," the message states.

The Republican Investigative Committee reported today on the preliminary investigation of the incident. "According to preliminary data, on September 20, 2026, two climbers - residents of Tolyatti and Nizhny Novgorod born in 1983 and 1996, were climbing Mount Dykhtau. They did not return from the ascent and did not make contact. During the organized search by rescuers, their bodies were found. Investigators are establishing all the circumstances of the incident, and forensic examinations have been appointed," the publication on the agency's website states.

Recall that on September 6, an avalanche descended from Mount Mijirgi on a group of 33 climbers, 17 people died. Ten members of the group descended independently, and another six were hospitalized.

This case of climbers' deaths in the Bezenge Gorge became the most massive incident in Russian mountainous areas in a quarter of a century, as reported by TASS citing its own calculations.

Kabardino-Balkaria is one of the main centers of mountain tourism and climbing in Russia. The jewel of the republic is Elbrus – the highest peak in Europe, at its foot are located ski resorts "Elbrus" and "Cheget".