A group of Italian mountain climbers met with disaster yesterday as they ascended Turkey's Agri Mountain. The 9 person group of climbers set out September 3 from the eastern city of Dogubeyazit, and were hit by a blizzard at 5 thousand meters up the mountain.

Female climber Caterina Fruttero (55) froze to death in the blizzard storm, and had to be abandoned by the rest of the group, who quickly descended with the help of a team sent by the Turkish Mountain Clilmbing Federation in order to save their own lives. Speaking to a reporter from the Dogan News Agency, team member Yildirim Ozturk said "We returned, leaving the female Italian climber at the 5 thousand meter mark on Agri Mountain. Had we tried to bring the body down the mountain, the other members of the group would have been in danger. Her husband Domenico is both crying with us, and turning around to look back up at Agri Mountain."

Source: Hurriyet