Five Russian Climbers Die in Fall on World’s 7th Highest Peak

FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)
FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)
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Five Russian Climbers Die in Fall on World’s 7th Highest Peak

FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)
FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)

Five Russian mountaineers who appeared to have slipped and fallen on the world’s seventh highest peak have been killed, an expedition organizer in Nepal said Tuesday.
The Russian climbers were climbing 8,167-meters high on Mount Dhaulagiri during Nepal's autumn climbing season.
These climbers had been reported missing since Sunday and a rescue helicopter spotted their bodies on Tuesday, said Pemba Jangbu Sherpa of the Kathmandu-based I AM Trekking and Expeditions.
It was still undecided if or when and how to bring the bodies down from the mountain, which would require extensive planning, manpower and equipment, The Associated Press reported.
Among them, two of the climbers had actually reached the summit. The remaining had returned without reaching the top. Radio contact was lost between them and the team members at the base camp since then.
The autumn climbing season, which is not as popular as the spring season, began last month. Mountains are less crowded and the permit fees are also lower.



Iceland Engulfed by Volcanic Cloud

Smoke and lava rise from a volcano eruption near Reykjanes, Iceland, 19 July 2025. EPA/JAKOB VEGERFORS
Smoke and lava rise from a volcano eruption near Reykjanes, Iceland, 19 July 2025. EPA/JAKOB VEGERFORS
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Iceland Engulfed by Volcanic Cloud

Smoke and lava rise from a volcano eruption near Reykjanes, Iceland, 19 July 2025. EPA/JAKOB VEGERFORS
Smoke and lava rise from a volcano eruption near Reykjanes, Iceland, 19 July 2025. EPA/JAKOB VEGERFORS

Iceland experts on Monday blamed a lack of wind for a volcanic cloud that has lingered over much of the island since an eruption last week.

Two craters of a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula spewed out the sulphur-packed cloud on Wednesday, AFP reported.

The thick haze has left the capital Reykjavik and the southwest of the country in a pollution red alert, the highest level in Iceland's monitoring system.

Hylnur Arnason of the Icelandic Energy and Environment Agency said that volcanic eruptions normally cause air pollution, mainly from the sulphur dioxide that is emitted. The gas becomes sulfate in the atmosphere, creating a volcanic fog.

"It's completely misty in large parts of the country," said Arnason.

"Usually in Iceland we have lots of wind, which would carry the pollution away, but right now we don't," the expert added. "Now it's kind of just sitting over the whole country."

Arnason said the gas was not toxic but could be an "irritant".

The environment agency has recommended that vulnerable people should remain at home and take precautions against the pollution. The wind was expected to start strengthening again late Monday.