Body of Missing Spanish Mountaineer Found After Avalanche in Armenia

Armenian search and rescue teams discovered the body of the missing Catalan mountaineer on Wednesday morning, following an avalanche on the northern face of Mount Aragats, as confirmed by the Armenian Rescue Service in a statement.

At 6:00 local time (3:00 Spanish peninsular time), an operational group from the regional rescue department of the Armenian Ministry of Interior's Emergency Service began the search operations for the missing individuals, and four hours later, they found the body of the deceased mountaineer.

The search and rescue operations involved 30 rescuers, a worker from the Aragats Hydroelectric Plant, and four climbers from the Armenian Federation of Mountaineering and Mountain Tourism. A helicopter from Armenian Helicopters also participated in the search operation.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Unió Excursionista Urgellenca reported that nine Catalan mountaineers were affected by an avalanche on Mount Aragats, the highest peak in Armenia at 4,000 meters. A few hours later, the mayor of La Seu d'Urgell (Lleida), Joan Barrera, confirmed the death of one Catalan mountaineer and that there were eight injured, four of them seriously.