Two Dead After Avalanche in Southwestern Hokkaido; Victims Believed to be Backcountry-Skiing Foreign Nationals (Update 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:57 JST, March 11, 2024 (updated at 16:00 JST)

A man and a woman, both believed to be foreign nationals, were rushed to a hospital in an unconscious state and later pronounced dead on Monday after being caught in an avalanche at Mt. Yotei in southwestern Hokkaido the same day.

According to the Hokkaido prefectural police, the avalanche occurred at an elevation of 650 to 700 meters on the northern side of the 1,898-meters-high mountain.

Those caught in the avalanche were members of a group of six believed to have been backcountry skiing.

Meanwhile, another avalanche was reported at 12:40 p.m. on Monday at Mt. Iwao-nupuri, about 15 kilometers west of Mt. Yotei. According to the local fire department, one person believed to be foreign national was injured at the site.