Mother of two, 18 months old baby dead, teenager injured after avalanche hits ski resort by Norilsk

Six houses were buried in a midnight avalanche at Mount Otdelnaya skiing complex outside Arctic city Norilsk, in the north of Krasnoyarsk region.

First reports about the avalanche were received right after midnight on Saturday, 9 January. 

Three out of six houses at the popular winter skiing base were destroyed by the snow. 

A family of four - the director of the local ski lift, his wife and two children - were inside one of the houses.

Mother of two and 18 months old baby dead, teenager badly injured after major avalanche hits ski resort near Norilsk. Pictures: MCHS Krsk

More than 200 people - rescuers and volunteers - rushed to the site and have been working through the cold and stormy night to get to the houses in temperatures of minus 23C. 

A boy aged 15 identified as Makar Popov, the couple’s eldest child, was rescued in the middle of the night and rushed to hospital where he is in grave condition. 

The teenager was badly frostbitten, sustaining multiple fractures and is in a state of shock. 

The body of the woman reported to be Makar’s mother was found under the snow. 

Ski lift director Vlad Popov is missing.

More than 200 people - rescuers and volunteers - rushed to the site and have been working through the cold and stormy night to get to the houses in temperatures of minus 23C. Pictures: MCHS Krsk, Borusio

The temperature at the site is -23C, with stormy wind and snow. 

Rescuers from Dudinka Arctic rescue squad are on the way to the site, along with AN-74 plane of Krasnoyarsk air rescue squad. 

There were fears of further avalanches. 

An emergency source said: ‘The threat of a repeated avalanche collapse currently exists. All security measures are being taken.’

Volunteer Maksim Innikhov said from the rescue site: ‘We found parts of the houses where the family of four - director of the cable car Vlad Popov, his wife and children - were staying for a holiday.

'The sound of a mobile phone is heard from under the snow, rescuers are trying to figure the exact area where the signal is coming from. 

‘People are continuing to come, many are walking to the site with their own shovels.

‘A huge amount of equipment is used at the site, everyone is doing their absolute best to find the people.

‘I came to the site as soon as I heard about the avalanche. 

‘Our house is at the site, the snow stopped some five metres from our door.’