Avalanche Strikes Borovets: 1 Foreign Skier Passed Away (UPDATED)

An avalanche has struck the Bulgarian ski resort of Borovets, engulfing a group of Greek skiers and snowboarders in its path. The incident occurred this afternoon in the Markudjik 3 area, leaving one person missing.

Update: After the avalanche in Borovets, the body of the missing skier was found. An eyewitness of the avalanche explained to bTV that the group went down the steepest part of the slope. The search operation is over.

"Earlier we met the group and commented that the place is very dangerous. Minutes later we saw them coming down the steepest part one after the other. They didn't carry backpacks. Apparently, they were not prepared." This was explained to bTV by Stefan Hristov, one of the participants in the rescue of those buried in the avalanche.

"During the descent, one of them cut the slope horizontally, which should not be done. The whole slope started - around 150 meters was the length of the avalanche. It split off at a height of about 2 meters. It was extremely spectacular to watch, but it was not at all nice and peaceful knowing they were there. We called 112. Then the emergency rescue left, and we arrived a little before them," he added.

"The incident involved Greek citizens. They did not have the avalanche equipment in them, which are mandatory for off-track skiing. The Markudjik 3 track is not currently working, and they have taken a purposeful risk there. They entered an extremely risky terrain", said the director of the Mountain rescue service, Emil Neshev.

According to earlier reports, several members of the group managed to escape the avalanche, but one individual remains buried under the snow. The Mountain Rescue Service was alerted to the situation around 14:13 by a witness from the group. While the exact number of individuals in the affected area remains unclear, it is believed that there were four Greek nationals present at the time of the avalanche.

Responding to the emergency, over 15 mountain rescuers equipped with four search dogs have been deployed to locate any signs of the missing person amidst the debris. The avalanche is estimated to have measured approximately 150 meters in length and nearly 30 meters in width.

In light of the incident, the Mountain Rescue Service has issued a warning advising individuals to avoid the winding northern, northeastern, and eastern slopes of Borovets.

The search efforts continue as rescuers race against time to locate and rescue the missing individual trapped beneath the snow.

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