Rescuers in Karachay-Cherkessia are searching for missing tourists from Astrakhan.

At least 15 rescuers are searching in Karachay-Cherkessia for two young women from Astrakhan who failed to return from a mountain hiking trip. Their parents asked them to look for the girls, as contact with them has been lost.

Members of the Karachay-Cherkessia Search and Rescue Team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations began searching for the missing tourists this morning. The women were supposed to complete their route in the Zelenchuksky District on May 3-4.

Fifteen rescuers have been dispatched to the search, covering two areas – the route through the Mukha Pass to the village of Krasny Karachay, as well as the Arkhyz Saddle and Marukh Gorge, according to a statement from the republic's Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Before the trip, the tourists registered their route with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, indicating the areas currently being searched. The girls' parents contacted rescuers, reporting that they were unable to find their way to the village.

The missing girls arrived in Karachay-Cherkessia from the Astrakhan Region, the republic's prosecutor's office noted. According to Sergei Mylnikov, head of the Karachay-Cherkessia Search and Rescue Team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the route the hikers took was technically straightforward and did not require any special training, TASS-Kavkaz reports.

The hikers, 24-year-old Victoria and 25-year-old Daria, set out on the hike in late April from the town of Teberda and were scheduled to reach the village of Arkhyz in the Zelenchuksky District on May 3. According to Victoria's mother, both girls are experienced hikers and have previously been to the mountains. Meanwhile, the area where the Astrakhan women got lost is characterized by difficult terrain and steep elevation changes along the routes, writes 112.

According to Mash Gor, on May 4, the women informed their families that they "couldn't descend due to the weather." They later lost contact.

During their hike, Victoria and Daria planned to visit the so-called Lake of Love at an altitude of 2,400 meters. "According to legend, if you swim in this lake and toss a coin, you'll soon find a husband," writes the SHOT Telegram channel.