North Caucasus is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, majestic mountains, turquoise rivers, clean air.One of these places was Karmadon Gorge in North Ossetia.
Dangerous Mountain
Nature often poses a mortal threat.North Ossetian gorge has always been famous for its beauty, has been and remains a favorite vacation spot of both the local population and visiting tourists.There are numerous resorts, mountaineering and created almost ideal conditions for active recreation.Moreover, they are often used for location filming movies.The diversity and pristine nature allows you to capture excellent plans and prospects, which is so important for the film.It was so Karmadon Gorge.Even 12 years ago, it attracted the its main attraction - the Kolka glacier.Is at the top of the gorge, on clear days, it allows you to see the iridescent glow of the entire surrounding area.It is this valley chose for his shooting the famous Russian actor and director Sergei Bodrov Jr.
the eve of the tragedy
Old timers have always feared that hanging over all the canyon of the glacial mass, but glaciologists (people who are watching the glaciers) gave a fairly optimistic forecasts.In addition, residents of the village of Upper Karmadon for its long history of not recall any disturbing phenomena.Nothing foreshadowed the drama that unfolded here sunny, warm day on Sept. 20, 2002.The tragedy Karmadon was a complete surprise to all participants: for residents of the crew Sergei Bodrov, emergency services.People quietly going about their business, and the team finished shooting Bodrov, who was supposed to start this morning, but the circumstances led to the fact that they were moved to the afternoon.In the mountains it gets dark early, so at seven o'clock in the evening the people began to gather, and in the meantime occurred in the upper reaches of the events that radically changed the subsequent course of events.
Tragedy Karmadon Gorge September 20, 2002
About eight in the evening on the surface of the Kolka glacier collapsed impending large mass of ice.The impact was tremendous force, some experts even compared it to undermine the power of a small nuclear charge.He called the destruction of the upper body of the glacier, numerous cracks caused the disruption fragment Kolka.Rushed down the weight began to get involved in its orbit rock-mud mudflow, pass the first element was Karmadon upper town, it all was just swept away by mudslides.Geographically, every valley has a relatively narrow passage, it is not possible to dispel the destructive power of ice and mud weight.Feed raced at speeds of more than two hundred kilometers, and the maximum height of the shaft was about 250 meters.All this avalanche covered Karmadon Gorge for more than twelve kilometers, turning the once blossoming land into a lifeless desert.
dramatic fate of the group Sergei Bodrov
film crew Sergei Bodrov cargo on trucks, but leave the gorge has not had time.It happened almost immediately.According to eyewitnesses, the entire glacier took no more than 20 minutes, which is even more difficult to escape.In the first hours after the tragedy, many people mastered the fear and despondency.Such were the consequences of the devastating events that changed Karmadon Gorge.North Ossetia, all, without exception, responded to this disaster.Immediately after the disappearance of the glacier was formed in Vladikavkaz operational headquarters to search for people and assist victims.At the scene were attracted considerable strength of MES and other emergency agencies.According to preliminary data, 19 people were listed dead.Begun rescue work revealed the full extent of the tragedy, it was almost grind to dust, thousands of cubic meters of debris flow masses flooded the entire plain areas of the gorge, and the chances of surviving are not any.
consequences of the collapse of the ice
September 21 at 14.00 according to the operational staff dead or missing including over 130 people, among them kinogruppa Sergei Bodrov.However, people have remained little hope that the famous actor and his team could take refuge in the road tunnel, which was located at the bottom of the gorge, and even allegedly witnesses noticed how the column of cars, heading in the direction of the shelter.All residents of the Upper Karmadonov were listed missing, because could not find a single body.Active rescue allowed to approach the entrance to the tunnel, but it overlaps the multimeter block of ice and dirt.It became clear that rapidly penetrate into not succeed.So, the chances of finding survivors quickly melted.However, the operation connected to the volunteers and all who want to help speed up the process.Karmadon glacier in the valley caused an unprecedented unity of all the inhabitants of the small Caucasian republic.But all efforts were in vain, for the first month since rescue anyone not found.
Death of Hope
Relatives Sergei Bodrov and his companions insisted on the continuation of the search, but the cold is not advancing were that possible.Many understood that, most likely, they are not alive.But the well-known expression "Hope dies last" continued to believe in spite of common sense in the possibility of saving the group.But the more time passes, the illusive hope of becoming.In the end, even the most ardent enthusiasts have stopped looking.It was agreed with the beginning of spring to start a new search to find the remains of all the filmmakers.Many people remember the television footage from the scene of the tragedy in the spring of 2003, as a few meters before the entrance to the tunnel, which came up operations to accelerate the process, the body of 19 attempts to drill the tunnel were unsuccessful, and only allowed the twentieth attempt to get inside.All present awaited great disappointment in not found any trace of human presence.However, a study of the tunnel continued for almost a year, but has not produced positive results.By decision of the Commission in May 2004 were stopped all searches.All missing persons have become enrolled as the dead in Karmadon Gorge.
