Russian tourist dies in Gudauri ski resort

The Georgian Interior Ministry confirms that a Russian tourist, for whom rescuer operation personnel had been searching for several hours in the ski resort of Gudauri, has been found dead. 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs says he was swept up by an avalanche. 

A missing persons report was received by the 112 emergency service on Sunday, January 5. Rescuers searched for him all day and found his body under a large mass of snow.

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•Gudauri ski lift malfunctions, leaves at least 10 injured

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According to preliminary information, the Russian tourist was in a restricted area.  

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into causing death by negligence. 

This is the second case of the death of a tourist in Gudauri in recent days.

On December 31, a Finnish tourist died under an avalanche in Gudauri.  According to the Mtavari Archi TV channel, the Finnish couple arrived in Georgia to celebrate the New Year.  They were on a plateau in Gudauri when an avalanche descended on them. Locals removed tourists from under the snow, but failed to save the man.

Gudauri is a Georgian ski resort located in the Kazbegi region, near the Russian border, on the Georgian Military Highway.

Thousands of tourists visit Gudauri every year.  In recent years, this destination has been especially popular among Russian and Ukrainian tourists.

Due to the mountainous terrain, avalanches are frequent here. And despite warnings, tourists often find themselves in avalanche-prone places, which leads to accidents.