On Saturday at 9:30 am, 15 climbers fell 60m into a crack while attempting to summit 5,018m Carihuairazo volcano in central Ecuador. The Association of Mountain Guides, Ministry of Health, several regional fire departments, and the Special Operations Group pooled personnel together to execute a rescue operation.
The Carihuairazo volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. Photo: Carlos Aguilar Moncayo/Shutterstock
Six women and six men sustained injuries ranging from bone fractures to head trauma. Rescuers flew the injured to hospitals in the nearby towns of Riobamba and Ambato.
Unfortunately, three are dead, including a 47-year-old woman named Veronica Torres, and two men, Francisco Castro and Miguel Campoverde, who were 45 and 50 years old.
Efforts to recover the three victims were to resume today when weather improves. However, this detail suggests that poor weather could be the culprit for this tragedy.
