Tourists evacuated as mudslide hits Valley of Geysers

Moscow, June 3 (UNI) A powerful mudslide today hit the world-famous tourist zone, the Valley of Geysers in the Kronotsky reserve, the Kamchatka Peninsula, forcing authorities to evacuate tourists.

At least, 25 tourists had been evacuated, Russian news agencies reported quoting Emergency Situations Ministry.

The mudslide, which originated at one of the sopkas (cone-shaped hills) near the valley, hit a tourist base, an official of the Emergency Situations Ministry told Interfax news agency.

The mudslide covered a house, a helicopter ground and approached other facilities.

''Tourists who were at the base were not injured,'' the official said, adding that 25 people were immediately evacuated. However, two German journalist stayed back to finish their documentary about Kamchatka.

"They insisted on staying in the valley, because their expensive equipment is there. They were delivered to a safe slope of a nearby sopka," he pointed out.

A group of experts, who will assess the situation, has left for the reserve.

According to preliminary reports, warm weather, which has kept for several days, was the reason behind the mudslide.

"It is likely that a glacier of the Zubchataya or Baraniya sopkas melt down," the official said.

The unique Valley of Geysers was discovered in 1941 by Tatiana Ustinova, a hydrology researcher from a nearby wildlife preserve.

Her discovery marked the start of a decades-long study of this remarkable natural phenomenon.

The authorities opened the Valley of Geysers for commercial tourists in 1991. The number of visitors coming here annually stands at around 3,000.

UNI