Search-and-rescue operations are continuing in the mountains of Almaty for a foreign citizen who separated from his group on September 28 and set off on his own, according to infohub.kz.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations reports that the search for the foreigner, born in 1953, is underway near Talgar Pass at an altitude of about 3,200 meters. On September 28, he rode the Shymbulak cable car up with a group.
"After that, he told his colleagues he intended to continue the route on his own and descend to the city unaccompanied. However, he did not return to the hotel. On September 29, information about his disappearance was received on the 112 emergency line. That same day, the Ministry of Emergency Situations immediately organized search-and-rescue operations. An operational headquarters of the Almaty city Emergency Situations Department has been set up," the ministry said in a statement.
Forces and assets from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Almaty city Monitoring and Rapid Response Center, canine units, rescuers from the Barys Republican Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, police department officers, and DSS volunteers are involved in surveying hard-to-reach areas. In total, about 50 people, 8 pieces of equipment, 7 unmanned aerial vehicles, 3 canine teams, and a Kazaviaspas helicopter have been deployed.
The crew of the Kazaviaspas helicopter surveyed mountain routes in the area of Left Talgar, the Bogdanovich Glacier, and adjacent gorges toward the peaks and passes. Foot search teams are also using 7 drones to survey hard-to-reach areas and mountain trails, while footage from surveillance cameras continues to be reviewed and tourists who were in the search area are being interviewed.
"Search-and-rescue operations continue around the clock. Rescuers are surveying the mountainous terrain, taking into account the difficult relief, altitude, and inaccessibility of certain sections," the Ministry of Emergency Situations assured.