Vladimir Putin instructed Yury Kokov, jointly with the Emergency Situations Ministry, to render every assistance to the people living in the vicinity of the disaster, as well as the tourists staying there.
A large mudslide descended in the early hours on Friday in Elbrussky District of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The only road to Elbrus has been destroyed in several sections; its restoration is underway. Several thousand people remain trapped. An emergency situation has been declared in the region. So far 279 people have been evacuated from the disaster area.