A fatal accident struck a mixed climbing expedition on Mount Ağrı in eastern Türkiye when an Italian mountaineer died and five others became stranded during the descent from the 5,136-meter summit.
The party of 11 included Turkish, Iranian, and Italian climbers organized by Sobek Tourism and Travel Agency based in Doğubayazıt. After reaching the peak, the group encountered a severe snowstorm on the way down. Caterina Fruttero, 55, died of hypothermia during the descent.
Two Iranian and three Italian climbers remained trapped on the mountain. The rest of the group contacted authorities, and a search-and-rescue team was dispatched. A second climbing party already on the mountain was also expected to attempt to reach the stranded climbers.
Sobek agency representative Aydın Alkan confirmed that 11 Italian mountaineers had begun the ascent two days earlier, and that three of them later joined a group of Iranian climbers for the final push to the summit.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.