30 December 2008

Canada snow hunt finds six bodies

BBC News, 29 December 2008

Volunteers set out to search for the missing snowmobilers on 29 December 2008

Teams have gone to the avalanche site to search for the missing men

Rescue workers have found the bodies of six of the eight snowmobile riders who were buried under two avalanches in western Canada's Rocky Mountains.

The incident, which happened on Sunday near Fernie, British Columbia, followed days of heavy snow in the region.

One avalanche buried a group of seven men. Another four who went to help them were buried by a second slip.

Three men had managed to pull themselves free from the snow. Two of the men are still unaccounted for.

There was no immediate information on where the six men's bodies had been found.

Map

Early on Monday, rescue workers dropped explosives from a helicopter onto slopes around the avalanche area to shake loose snow free and make it safe for searchers.

Trained teams with dogs then began a search at the scene, police said.

The three men who pulled themselves from the snow tried to find their companions but had to give up because one was injured and they feared another slide, he said.

Some 27 inches (68 cm) of snow have fallen in the region in recent days. Forecasters said the danger of avalanches remained high - hampering the search effort.

BBC © MMVIII

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