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Record-breaking snowfall buries high-rise buildings up to 4th floor in Russia’s Kamchatka, chilling videos emerge

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, two residents were killed after snow fell from the rooftops and trapped them.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 19, 2026 11:25 AM IST

One of the viral videos shows children sliding down the huge snowdrift in Kamchatka city, Russia (Image source: @volcaholic1/X)

A howling winter storm in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has buried cities under heavy snow, halting transport and leaving at least two people dead, The Moscow Times reported.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, two residents were killed after snow fell from rooftops and trapped them, the report added.

Following news of the first fatality on Thursday, Mayor Yevgeny Belyayev declared a citywide state of emergency to mobilise additional resources for snow removal and emergency response.

Belyayev slammed property management companies for failing to clear rooftops immediately and accused them of waiting for the snowstorm to pass.

One of the viral videos shows children sliding down the huge snowdrift in Kamchatka city. Another video shows several buildings buried under the snow up to the 4th floor.

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A post shared by 𝗧𝗵𝗲 ‘𝗔𝘅𝗲’ 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 (@theaxedrop)

Locals in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula are calling it a “snow apocalypse” after record-breaking snowfall buried towns, blocked roads, and forced a state of emergency, with snow piling up to building levels in some areas.pic.twitter.com/cWutM1L9wX

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) January 17, 2026

HOLY SH*T!

Record snowfall buries buildings and towns in Russia’s Kamchatka.

I promise to never complain about 6 inches of snow in New York again. pic.twitter.com/jSndL10f3b

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) January 18, 2026
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Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations released videos showing rescue workers digging through deep snowdrifts to reach elderly residents trapped inside their homes. Continuous snowfall over several days has led schools to shut and public transportation to be suspended in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the report said.

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Kamchatka’s Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Lebedev shared that a 63-year-old man died after being buried by snow that fell from the roof of a one-story house. According to the report, rescue officials attempted to save him but were unsuccessful. Lebedev further alerted residents about large snow accumulations on rooftops, noting that rising temperatures were causing snow to slide off buildings.

“I once again urge you to be aware of huge snow piles that have formed on rooftops during the cyclone. Temperatures have risen, and so the snow has begun to fall from rooftops,” the minister said in a statement, as mentioned by The Moscow Times.