Georgian PM sends condolences over death of mountaineer Archil Badriashvili

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday expressed condolences over the death of Archil Badriashvili, a 34-year-old Georgian mountain climber who lost his life in an accident on the Shkhelda peak in the country’s north-western region of Svaneti last week.

I am saddened by the death of alpinist Archil Badriashvili. Archil was a top-class mountaineer who, together with two teammates, for the first time in the history of Georgian alpinism, won the most prestigious sports award - the Piolet d’Or. I offer my condolences to [his] family members, friends, relatives and colleagues”, Kobakhidze said.

• Body of Georgian mountaineer found after fatal accident on Svaneti peak

Badriashvili went missing on the peak at an altitude of approximately 3,800 metres while navigating a rocky slope, after he set off on an expedition with three other mountaineers, with a lightning strike suspected as the cause of his death while he was attempting a descent.

His body was recovered by rescuers on Monday, with three other climbers evacuated to the region’s central town of Mestia using a border police helicopter on Sunday.

Georgia’s Emergency Management Service said the incident on the Shkhelda peak was being studied for details.