At least 30 missing following Russian landslide

A least 30 people missing feared dead after a powerful avalanche hit a village in southern Russia.

A least 30 people missing feared dead after a powerful avalanche hit a village in southern Russia.

An Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman said a massive chunk of ice broke away from the Maili glacier in the Caucasus mountain range on Friday night, sending a wall of ice, mud and rocks thundering into the region of North Ossetia.

Russian news agencies said the area around the village of Karmadon was devastated and put the provisional toll of missing at anywhere between 30 and 80.

Among those missing were a 27-person television film crew from Moscow, as well as villagers, shepherds and fell walkers.

READ MORE

Referring to unofficial casualty reports, ministry spokeswoman Marina Ryklina said: "This is very approximate because there are many tourists and many mountain climbers in that area."

The North Ossetia region lies on the northern edge of the Caucasus range on Russia's border with Georgia and the disaster took place in an area of villages and remote rural communities.

The huge lump of ice, which Interfax news agency put at two to three million cubic metres (70 to 100 million cubic feet) in volume, clipped the village of Karmadon as it thundered along its path.

"There are 15 homes buried in Karmadon and about 30 people may live in these homes," Ryklina said.