Six climbers died on Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia

Six people have died while climbing the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia’s far east and six more are believed to be stranded on Sunday after freezing winds halted a rescue attempt. The party of twelve, which includes two guides, set off to climb the 4,754-metre (15,597 ft) volcano on Tuesday but ran into trouble on Saturday when some of the group fell to their death at almost 4,200 meters, authorities informed.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the tallest of over 160 volcanoes whose snowy peaks tower over Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula.  Rescuers warn that the mountain, made up of mounds of volcanic rocks mixed with snow and ice, is considered particularly hazardous to climbers due to its altitude and the risk of volcanic eruption.