Four tourists die on Georgia’s Mount Ushba

The bodies of four foreign tourists have been found at Mount Ushba in Georgia’s north-west Svaneti region.

The identity and nationality of the tourists was still unknown, said the Emergency Management Agency of Georgia’s Interior Minister.

Rescuer officers from the Agency's local office began searching for the tourists after the group was reported missing earlier yesterday.

The bodies were found after rescuers from capital Tbilisi helicoptered to Svaneti to join other searchers early this morning.

Currently the bodies were being transported to Tbilisi for identification.

Mount Ushba, measuring 4,710m high, is one of the most notable peaks of the Caucasus mountain range. Due to its steep profile and unstable weather, Mount Ushba is regarded as the most difficult ascent in the Caucasus.

Even though Ushba is the seventh highest peak in Georgia, reaching the summit is considered one of the hardest climbs in Georgia.